CAPTAIN 
SCRAGGS 


PETERB-KYNE 


UBRARfCOD 


) 

JNiV 

CALiFv,    ?siA 

5ANTA  CRUZ 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 


'"Captain  Scraggs  threw  his  brown  derby  on  the  deck 
and  leaped  upon  it" 


CAPTAIN  SCRAGGS 

OR 
THE    GREEN-PEA    PIRATES 


BY 

PETER  B.  KYNE 


AUTHOR  OF 


GAPPY  RICKS,  THE  LONG  CHANCE, 

THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  GIANTS, 

WEBSTER— MAN'S  MAN,  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 

GORDON  GRANT 


GROSSET    &    DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS  NEWYORK 


COPYRIGHT,  1911,  1912.  1913.  1914, 1919,  BY 
PETER  B.  KYNE 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED,  INCLUDING  THAT  OF 

TRANSLATION  INTO  FOREIGN  LANGUAGES, 

INCLUDING  THE  SCANDINAVIAN 


PRINTED  AT  (iARUBN  CITY.  N.  Y.,  U.  S.  A. 


ORIGINALLY  PUBLISHED  BY  THE  SUNSET  MAGAZINE 


cs 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Captain  Scraggs  threw  his  brown  derby  on  the 

deck  and  leaped  upon  it"    .     .     .       Frontispiece 

(See  page  6) 


FACING  PAGE 


"Great  Snakes!'  he  yelled — and  fell  back  against 

the  cabin  wall" 156 

1  Captain  Scraggs     .     .     .     broke  from  the  circle 

of  savages    .     .     .     and  fled  for  the  beach "     232 

Tabu-Tabu     .     .     .     planted  a  mighty  right  in 

the  centre  of  Mr.  Gibney's  physiognomy"  .     252 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 


The  Green-Pea  Pirates 


CHAPTER  I 

THEY  had  seen  the  fog  rolling  down  the  coast 
shortly  after  the  Maggie  had  rounded  Pilar  Point 
at  sunset  and  headed  north.  Captain  Scraggs 
has  been  steamboating  too  many  unprofitable  years  on 
San  Francisco  Bay,  the  Suisun  and  San  Pablo  sloughs 
and  dogholes  and  the  Sacramento  River  to  be  deceived 
as  to  the  character  of  that  fog,  and  he  remarked  as  much 
to  Mr.  Gibney.  "We'd  better  turn  back  to  Half  moon 
Bay  and  tie  up  at  the  dock,"  he  added. 

"Calamity  howler!"  retorted  Mr.  Gibney  and  gave 
the  wheel  a  spoke  or  two.  "Scraggsy,  you're  enough 
to  make  a  real  sailor  sick  at  the  stomach." 

"But  I  tell  you  she's  a  tule  fog,  Gib.  She  rises  up 
in  the  marshes  of  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin, 
drifts  down  to  the  bay  and  out  the  Golden  Gate  and 
just  naturally  blocks  the  wheels  of  commerce  while  she 
lasts.  Why,  I've  known  the  ferry  boats  between  San 
Francisco  and  Oakland  to  get  lost  for  hours  on  their 
twenty-minute  run — and  all  along  of  a  blasted  tule  fog." 

"I  don't  doubt  your  word  a  mite,  Scraggsy.  I  never 
did  see  a  ferry-boat  skipper  that  knew  shucks  about 
sailorizing,"  the  imperturbable  Gibney  responded. 
"  Me,  I'll  smell  my  way  home  in  any  tule  fog." 


4  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Maybe  you  can  an'  maybe  you  can't,  Gib,  although 
far  be  it  from  me  to  question  your  ability.  I'll  take  it 
for  granted.  Nevertheless,  I  ain't  a-goin'  to  run  the 
risk  o'  you  havin'  catarrh  o'  the  nose  an'  confusin' 
your  smells  to-night.  You  ain't  got  nothin,  at  stake  but 
your  job,  whereas  if  I  lose  the  Maggie  I  lose  my  hull  for- 
tune. Bring  her  about,  Gib,  an'  let's  hustle  back." 

"Don't  be  an  old  woman,"  Mr.  Gibney  pleaded. 
"  Scraggs,  you  just  ain't  got  enough  works  inside  you  to 
fill  a  wrist  watch." 

"I  ain't  a-goin'  to  poke  around  in  the  dark  an'  a  tule 
fog,  feelin'  for  the  Golden  Gate,"  Captain  Scraggs 
shrilled  peevishly. 

"Hell's  bells  an'  panther  tracks!  I've  got  my  old 
courses,  an'  if  I  foller  them  we  can't  help  gettin'  home." 

Captain  Scraggs  laid  his  hand  on  Mr.  Gibney's  great 
arm  and  tried  to  smile  paternally.  "Gib,  my  dear 
boy,"  he  pleaded,  "control  yourself.  Don't  argue  with 
me,  Gib.  I'm  master  here  an'  you're  mate.  Do  I  make 
myself  clear?" 

"You  do,  Scraggsy.  But  it  won't  avail  you  nothin'. 
You're  only  master  becuz  of  a  gentleman's  agreement 
between  us  two,  an'  because  I'm  man  enough  to  figger 
there's  certain  rights  due  you  as  owner  o'  the  Maggie. 
But  don't  you  forget  that  accordin'  to  the  records  o'  the 
Inspector's  office,  I'm  master  of  the  Maggie,  an'  the 
way  I  figger  it,  whenever  there's  any  call  to  show  a  little 
real  seamanship,  that  gentleman's  agreement  don't 
stand." 

"But  this  ain't  one  o'  them  times,  Gib." 

"You're  whistlin'  it  is.  If  we  run  from  this  here  fog, 
it's  skiffs  to  battleships  we  don't  get  into  San  Francisco 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  5 

Bay  an*  discharged  before  six  o'clock  to-morrow  night. 
By  the  time  we've  taken  on  coal  an'  water  an'  what-all, 
it'll  be  eight  or  nine  o'clock,  with  me  an'  McGuffey  en- 
titled to  mebbe  three  dollars  overtime  an'  havin'  to  ar- 
gue an'  scrap  with  you  to  git  it — not  to  speak  o'  havin' 
to  put  to  sea  the  same  night  so's  to  be  back  in  Halfmoon 
Bay  to  load  bright  an'  early  next  mornin'.  Scraggsy, 
I  ain't  no  night  bird  on  this  run." 

"Do  you  mean  to  defy  me,  Gib?"  Captain  Scraggs' 
little  green  eyes  gleamed  balefully.  Mr.  Gibney  looked 
down  upon  him  with  tolerance,  as  a  Great  Dane  gazes 
upon  a  fox  terrier.  "I  certainly  do,  Scraggsy,  old  pep- 
per-pot," he  replied  calmly.  "  What're  you  goin'  to  do 
about  it?"  The  ghost  of  a  smile  lighted  his  jovial 
countenance. 

"Nothin' — now.  I'm  helpless,"  Captain  Scraggs  an- 
swered with  deadly  calm.  "But  the  minute  we  hit  the 
dock  you  an'  me  parts  company." 

"I  don't  know  whether  we  will  or  not,  Scraggsy.  I 
ain't  heeled  right  financially  to  hit  the  beach  on  such 
short  notice." 

"That  ain't  no  skin  off  n  my  nose,  Gib." 

"Well,  you  can  fire  all  you  want,  but  you  won't  fire 
me.  I  won't  go." 

"I'll  get  the  police  to  remove  you,  you  blistered  pi- 
rate," Scraggs  screamed,  now  quite  beside  himself. 

"Yes?  Well,  the  minute  they  let  go  o'  me  I'll  come 
back  to  the  S.  S.  Maggie  and  tear  her  apart  just  to  see 
what  makes  her  go."  He  leaned  out  the  pilot  house 
window  and  sniffed.  "Tule  fog,  all  right,  Scraggs. 
Still,  that  ain't  no  reason  why  the  ship's  company  should 
fast,  is  it?  Quit  bickerin'  with  me,  little  one,  an'  see  if 


6  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

you  can't  wrastle  up  some  ham  an'  eggs.  I  want  my 
eggs  sunny  side  up." 

Sensing  the  futility  of  further  argument,  Captain 
Scraggs  sought  solace  in  a  stream  of  adjectival  oppro- 
brium, plainly  meant  for  Mr.  Gibney  but  delivered, 
nevertheless,  impersonally.  He  closed  the  pilot  house 
door  furiously  behind  him  and  started  for  the  galley. 

"Some  bright  day  I'm  goin'  to  git  tired  o'  hearin' 
you  cuss  my  proxy,"  Mr.  Gibney  bawled  after  him, 
"an*  when  that  fatal  time  arrives  I'll  scatter  a  can  o' 
Kill-Flea  over  you  an'  the  shippin'  world'll  know  you 


no  more." 


"Oh,  go  to — glory,  you  pig-iron  polisher,"  Captain 
Scraggs  tossed  back  at  him  over  his  shoulder — and 
honour  was  satisfied.  In  the  lee  of  the  pilot  house 
Captain  Scraggs  paused,  set  his  infamous  old  brown 
derby  hat  on  the  deck  and  leaped  furiously  upon  it  with 
both  feet.  Six  times  he  did  this;  then  with  a  blow  of 
his  fist  he  knocked  the  ruin  back  into  a  semblance  of  its 
original  shape  and  immediately  felt  better. 

"If  I  was  you,  skipper,  I'd  hold  my  temper  until  I 
got  to  port;  then  I'd  git  jingled  an'  forgit  my  troubles 
inexpensively,"  somebody  advised  him. 

Scraggs  turned.  In  a  little  square  hatch  the  head 
and  shoulders  of  Mr.  Bartholomew  McGuffey,  chief  en- 
gineer; first,  second  and  third  assistant  engineer,  oiler, 
wiper,  water-tender,  and  coal-passer  of  the  Maggie, 
appeared.  He  was  standing  on  the  steel  ladder  that 
led  up  from  his  stuffy  engine  room  and  had  evidently 
come  up,  like  a  whale,  for  a  breath  of  fresh  air.  "The 
way  you  ruin  them  bonnets  o'  yourn  sure  is  a  scandal," 
Mr.  McGuffey  concluded.  "If  I  had  a  temper  as  nasty 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PRIATES  7 

as  yourn  I'd  take  soothin'  syrup  or   somethin'    for 
it." 

Without  waiting  for  a  reply,  Mr.  McGuffey  dropped 
back  into  his  department  and  Captain  Scraggs,  his 
soul  filled  with  rage  and  dire  forebodings,  repaired  to 
the  galley,  and  "candled"  four  dozen  eggs.  Out  of 
the  four  dozen  he  found  nine  with  black  spots  in  them 
and  carefully  set  them  aside  to  be  fried,  sunny  side  up, 
for  Mr.  Gibney  and  McGuffey. 


CHAPTER  II 

BEFORE  proceeding  further  with  this  narrative, 
due  respect  for  the   reader's  curiosity  directs 
that  we  diverge  for  a  period  sufficient  to  present 
a  brief  history  of  the  steamer  Maggie  and  her  peculiar 
crew.     We  will  begin  with  the  Maggie. 

She  had  been  built  on  Puget  Sound  back  in  the  eigh- 
ties, and  was  one  hundred  and  six  feet  over  all,  twenty- 
six  feet  beam  and  seven  feet  draft.  Driven  by  a  little 
steeple  compound  engine,  in  the  pride  of  her  youth  she 
could  make  ten  knots.  However,  what  with  old  age 
and  boiler  scale,  the  best  she  could  do  now  was  six,  and 
had  Mr.  McGuffey  paid  the  slightest  heed  to  the  limita- 
tions imposed  upon  his  steam  gauge  by  the  Supervising 
Inspector  of  Boilers  at  San  Francisco,  she  would  have 
been  limited  to  five.  Each  annual  inspection  threat- 
ened to  be  her  last,  and  Captain  Scraggs,  her  sole  owner, 
lived  in  perpetual  fear  that  eventually  the  day  must 
arrive  when,  to  save  the  lives  of  himself  and  his  crew, 
he  would  be  forced  to  ship  a  new  boiler  and  renew  the 
rotten  timbers  around  her  dead  wood.  She  had  come 
into  Captain  Scraggs's  possession  at  public  auction 
conducted  by  the  United  States  Marshal,  following 
her  capture  as  she  sneaked  into  San  Francisco  Bay  one 
dark  night  with  a  load  of  Chinamen  and  opium  from 
Ensenada.  She  had  cost  him  fifteen  hundred  hard- 
earned  dollars. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  9 

Scraggs — Phineas  P.  Scraggs,  to  employ  his  full 
name,  was  precisely  the  kind  of  man  one  might  expect 
to  own  and  operate  the  Maggie.  Rat-faced,  snaggle 
toothed  and  furtive,  with  a  low  cunning  that  some- 
times passed  for  great  intelligence,  Scraggs'  character 
is  best  described  in  a  homely  American  word.  He  was 
"  ornery."  A  native  of  San  Francisco,  he  had  grown  up 
around  the  docks  and  had  developed  from  messboy 
on  a  river  steamer  to  master  of  bay  and  river  steam- 
boats, although  it  is  not  of  record  that  he  ever  com- 
manded such  a  craft.  Despite  his  "ticket"  there  was 
none  so  foolish  as  to  trust  him  with  one — a  condition 
of  affairs  which  had  tended  to  sour  a  disposition  not 
naturally  sweet.  The  yearning  to  command  a  steam- 
boat gradually  had  developed  into  an  obsession.  Re- 
sult— the  "fast  and  commodious  S.  S.  Maggie,"  as 
the  United  States  Marshal  had  had  the  audacity  to 
advertise  her. 

In  the  beginning,  Captain  Scraggs  had  planned  to 
do  bay  and  river  towing  with  the  Maggie.  Alas!  The 
first  time  the  unfortunate  Scraggs  attempted  to  tow  a 
heavily  laden  barge  up  river,  a  light  fog  had  come  down, 
necessitating  the  frequent  blowing  of  the  whistle. 
Following  the  sixth  long  blast,  Mr.  McGuffey  had  whis- 
tled Scraggs  on  the  engine  room  howler;  swearing  hor- 
ribly, he  had  demanded  to  be  informed  why  in  this 
and  that  the  skipper  didn't  leave  that  dod-gasted 
whistle  alone.  It  was  using  up  his  steam  faster  than 
he  could  manufacture  it.  Thereafter,  Scraggs  had 
used  a  patent  foghorn,  and  when  the  honest  McGuffey 
had  once  more  succeeded  in  conserving  sufficient  steam 
to  crawl  up  river,  the  tide  had  turned  and  the  Maggie 


10  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

could  not  buck  the  ebb.  McGuffey  declared  a  few  new 
tubes  in  the  boiler  would  do  the  trick,  but  on  the  other 
hand,  Mr.  Gibney  pointed  out  that  the  old  craft  was 
practically  punk  aft  and  a  stiff  tow  would  jerk  the  tail 
off  the  old  girl.  In  despair,  therefore,  Captain  Scraggs 
had  abandoned  bay  and  river  towing  and  was  prepared 
to  jump  overboard  and  end  all,  when  an  opportunity 
offered  for  the  freighting  of  garden  truck  and  dairy 
produce  from  Halfmoon  Bay  to  San  Francisco. 

But  now  a  difficulty  arose.  The  new  run  was  an 
"outside"  one — salt  water  all  the  way.  Under  the 
ruling  of  the  Inspectors,  the  Maggie  would  be  running 
coastwise  the  instant  she  engaged  in  the  green  pea  and 
string  bean  trade,  and  Captain  Scraggs's  license  pro- 
vided for  no  such  contingency.  His  ticket  entitled 
him  to  act  as  master  on  the  waters  of  San  Francisco 
Bay  and  the  waters  tributary  thereto,  and  although 
Scraggs  argued  that  the  Pacific  Ocean  constituted 
waters  "tributary  thereto,"  if  lie  understood  the 
English  language,  the  Inspectors  were  obdurate.  What 
if  the  distance  was  less  than  twenty -five  miles?  they 
pointed  out.  The  voyage  was  undeniably  coastwise 
and  carried  with  it  all  the  risk  of  wind  and  wave.  And 
in  order  to  impress  upon  Captain  Scraggs  the  weight 
of  their  authority,  the  Inspectors  suspended  for  six 
months  Captain  Scraggs's  bay  and  river  license  for  hav- 
ing dared  to  negotiate  two  coastwise  voyages  without 
consulting  them.  Furthermore,  they  warned  him  that 
the  next  time  he  did  it  they  would  condemn  the  fast 
and  commodious  Maggie. 

In  his  extremity,  Fate  had  sent  to  Captain  Scraggs  a 
large,  imposing,  capable,  but  socially  indifferent  person 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  11 

who  responded  to  the  name  of  Adelbert  P.  Gibney. 
Mr.  Gibney  had  spent  part  of  an  adventurous  life  in 
the  United  States  Navy,  where  he  had  applied  himself 
and  acquired  a  fair  smattering  of  navigation.  Prior  to 
entering  the  Navy  he  had  been  a  foremast  hsiid  in  clipper 
ships  and  had  held  a  second  mate's  berth.  Folio  wing 
his  discharge  from  the  Navy  he  had  sailed  coastwise 
on  steam  schooners,  and  after  attending  a  navigation 
school  for  two  months,  had  procured  a  license  as  chief 
mate  of  steam,  an/  ocean  and  any  tonnage. 

Unfortunately  for  Mr.  Gibney,  he  had  a  failing. 
Most  of  us  have.  The  most  genial  fellow  in  the  world, 
he  was  cursed  with  too  much  brains  and  imagination 
and  a  thirst  which  required  quenching  around  pay-day. 
Also,  he  had  that  beastly  habit  of  command  which 
is  inseparable  from  a  born  leader;  when  he  held  a  first 
mate's  berth,  he  was  wont  to  try  to  "run  the  ship"  and, 
on  occasions,  ladle  out  suggestions  to  his  skipper. 
Thus,  in  time,  he  had  acquired  a  reputation  for  being 
unreliable  and  a  wind-bag,  with  the  result  that  skippers 
were  chary  of  engaging  him.  Not  to  be  too  prolix,  at 
the  time  Captain  Scraggs  made  the  disheartening  dis- 
covery that  he  had  to  have  a  skipper  for  the  Maggie,  Mr. 
Gibney  found  himself  reduced  to  the  alternative  of 
longshore  work  or  a  fo'eastle  berth  hi  a  windjammer 
bound  for  blue  water. 

With  alacrity,  therefore,  Mr.  Gibney  had  accepted 
Scraggs's  offer  of  seventy -five  dollars  a  month — "and 
found" — to  skipper  the  Maggie  on  her  coastwise  run. 
As  a  first  mate  of  steam  he  had  no  difficulty  inducing 
the  Inspectors  to  grant  him  a  license  to  skipper  such 
an  abandoned  craft  as  the  Maggie,  and  accordingly  he 


12  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

hung  up  his  ticket  in  her  pilot  house  and  was  registered 
as  her  master,  albeit,  under  a  gentlemen's  agreement 
with  Scraggs  he  was  not  to  claim  the  title  of  captain 
and  was  known  to  the  world  as  the  Maggie's  first  mate, 
second  mate,  third  mate,  quartermaster,  purser,  and 
freight  clerk.  One  Neils  Halvorsen,  a  solemn  Swede 
with  a  placid,  bovine  disposition,  constituted  the  fo'- 
castle  hands,  while  Bart  McGuffey,  a  wastrel  of  the 
Gibney  type  but  slower-witted,  reigned  supreme  in  the 
engine  room.  Also  his  case  resembled  that  of  Mr.  Gib- 
ney in  that  McGuffey 's  job  on  the  Maggie  was  the  first 
he  had  had  in  six  months  and  he  treasured  it  accord- 
ingly. For  this  reason  he  and  Gibney  had  been  inclined 
to  take  considerable  slack  from  Captain  Scraggs  until 
McGuffey  discovered  that,  in  all  probability,  no  en- 
gineer in  the  world,  except  himself,  would  have  the 
courage  to  trust  himself  within  range  of  the  Maggie's 
boilers,  and,  consequently,  he  had  Captain  Scraggs 
more  or  less  at  his  mercy.  Upon  imparting  this  sus- 
picion to  Mr.  Gibney,  the  latter  decided  that  it  would 
be  a  cold  day,  indeed,  when  his  ticket  would  not  consti- 
tute a  club  wherewith  to  make  Scraggs,  as  Gibney  ex- 
pressed it,  "mind  his  P's  and  Q's." 

It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  mutual  necessity  held 
this  queerly  assorted  trio  together,  and,  though  they 
quarrelled  furiously,  nevertheless,  with  the  passage  of 
time  their  own  weaknesses  and  those  of  the  Maggie 
had  aroused  in  each  for  the  other  a  curious  affection. 
While  Captain  Scraggs  frequently  "pulled"  a  monu- 
mental bluff  and  threatened  to  dismiss  both  Gibney 
and  McGuffey — and,  in  fact,  occasionally  went  so  far 
as  to  order  them  off  his  ship,  on  their  part  Gibney  and 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  13 

McGuffey  were  wont  to  work  the  same  racket  and 
resign.  With  the  subsidence  of  their  anger  and  the  re- 
turn to  reason,  however,  the  trio  had  a  habit  of  meeting 
accidentally  in  the  Bowhead  saloon,  where,  sooner  or 
later,  they  were  certain  to  bury  their  grudge  in  a  foam- 
ing beaker  of  steam  beer,  and  return  joyfully  to  the 
Maggie. 

Of  all  the  little  ship's  company,  Neils  Halvorsen, 
colloquially  designated  as  "The  Squarehead,"  was  the 
only  individual  who  was,  in  truth  and  in  fact,  his  own 
man.  Neils  was  steady,  industrious,  faithful,  capable, 
and  reliable;  any  one  of  a  hundred  deckhand  jobs  were 
ever  open  to  Neils,  yet,  for  some  reason  best  known  to 
himself,  he  preferred  to  stick  by  the  Maggie.  In  his 
dull  way  it  is  probable  that  he  was  fascinated  by  the 
agile  intelligence  of  Mr.  Gibney,  the  vitriolic  tongue  of 
Captain  Scraggs,  and  the  elephantine  wit  and  grizzly 
bear  courage  of  Mr.  McGuffey.  At  any  rate,  he  de- 
lighted in  hearing  them  snarl  and  wrangle. 

However,  to  return  to  the  Maggie  which  we  left 
entering  the  tule  fog  a  few  miles  north  of  Pilar  Point: 


CHAPTER  HI 

CAPTAIN  SCRAGGS  and  The  Squarehead  par- 
took first  of  the  ham  and  eggs,  coffee  and  bread 
which  the  skipper  prepared.  Scraggs  then 
prepared  a  similar  meal  for  Mr.  Gibney  and  McGuffey, 
set  it  in  the  oven  to  keep  warm,  and  descended  to  the 
engine  room  to  relieve  McGuffey  for  dinner.  Neils  at 
the  same  time  took  the  course  from  Mr.  Gibney  and 
relieved  the  latter  at  the  wheel.  By  this  time,  darkness 
had  descended  upon  the  world,  and  the  Maggie  had 
entered  the  fog;  following  her  custom  she  proceeded 
in  absolute  silence,  although  as  a  partial  offset  to  the 
extreme  liability  to  collision  with  other  coastwise  craft, 
due  to  the  non-whistling  rule  aboard  the  Maggie,  Mr. 
Gibney  had  laid  a  course  half  a  mile  inside  the  usual 
steamer  lanes,  albeit  due  to  his  overwhelming  desire 
for  peace  he  had  neglected  to  inform  his  owner  of  this; 
the  honest  fellow  proceeded  upon  the  hypothesis  that 
what  people  do  not  know  is  not  apt  to  trouble  them. 

Mr.  McGuffey  was  already  seated  and  disposing  of 
his  meal  when  Mr.  Gibney  entered.  "Gib,"  he  de- 
clared with  his  mouth  full,  "rinse  the  taste  o'  chewin' 
tobacco  out  o'  your  mouth  before  startin'  to  eat,  an' 
then  tell  me,  as  man  to  man,  if  them  eggs  is  fit  for 
human  consumption." 

Mr.  Gibney  conformed  with  the  engineer's  request. 
"Eatable  but  venerable,"  was  his  verdict.  "That 

14 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  15 

infernal  Scraggs  is  tryin'  to  make  the  Maggie  pay 
dividends  at  the  expense  of  our  stomachs." 

"  A  nd  at  the  risk  of  our  lives,  Gib.  I  move  we  declare 
a  strike  until  Scraggs  digs  up  the  money  to  overhaul  the 
boiler.  Just  before  we  slipped  into  the  fog  I  saw  two 
steam  schooners  headed  south — so  they  must  'a5  seen 
us  headed  north.  Jes'  listen  at  them  a-bellerin*  off 
there  to  port.  They're  a-watchin'  and  a-listenin', 
expectin'  to  cut  us  down  at  every  turn  o*  the  screw. 
First  thing  you  know,  Gib,  you'll  be  losin'  your  ticket 
for  failin'  to  be  courteous  on  the  high  seas." 

"Six  o'  one  an'  half  a  dozen  o'  the  other,  Bart.  If  I 
whistle  I'll  use  up  all  your  steam,  an',  then  if  we  should 
find  ourselves  in  the  danger  zone  we  won't  be  able  to  get 
out  of  our  own  way." 

"Let's  refuse  to  take  her  out  again  until  Scraggsy 
spends  some  money  on  her.  'Tain't  Christian  the  way 
he  acts." 

"  Got  to  get  in  another  pay  day  before  I  start  the  high 
an'  mighty,  Bart.  But  I'll  speak  to  the  old  man  about 
them  eggs.  They  taste  like  they'd  been  laid  by  a 
pelican  before  the  Civil  War.  Somehow  I  can't  eat 
an  egg  that's  the  least  bit  rotten." 

"It's  gettin'  so,"  McGuffey  mourned,  "that  I  don't 
have  no  more  time  off  in  port.  When  I  ain't  standin' 
by  I'm  repairin',  an'  when  I  ain't  doin'  either  I'm 
dreamin'  about  the  danged  old  coffee  mill.  For  a  can- 
celled postage  stamp  I'd  jump  the  ship." 

He  gulped  down  his  coffee,  loaded  his  pipe,  and  went 
below  to  relieve  Scraggs,  for  although  experience  in 
acting  as  McGuffey's  relief  had  given  Captain  Scraggs 
what  might  be  termed  a  working  knowledge  of  the 


16  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

Maggie's  engine,  McGuffey  was  never  happy  with 
Scraggs  in  charge,  even  for  five  minutes.  The  habit 
of  years  caused  him  to  cast  a  quick  glance  at  the  steam 
gauge,  and  he  noted  it  had  dropped  five  pounds. 

"Savin'  on  the  coal  again,"  he  roared.  "Git  out 
o*  my  engine  room,  you  doggoned  skinflint."  He 
seized  a  slice  bar,  threw  open  the  furnace  door,  raked 
the  fire,  and  commenced  shovelling  in  coal  at  a  rate  that 
almost  brought  the  tears  of  anguish  to  his  owner's 
eyes.  "There!  The  main  bearin's  screamin'  again," 
he  wailed.  "Oil  cup's  empty.  Ain't  I  drilled  it  into 
your  head  enough,  Scraggsy,  that  she'll  cry  her  eyes 
out  if  you  don't  let  her  swim  in  oil?"  He  grasped 
the  oil  can  and,  in  order  to  test  the  efficacy  of  its 
squirt,  shot  a  generous  stream  down  Captain  Scraggs's 
collar. 

"  That  for  them  rotten  eggs,  you  miser,"  he  growled. 
"Herausmit'em!" 

Captain  Scraggs  fled,  cursing,  and  sought  solace  in 
the  pilot  house. 

"It's  as  black,"  quoted  Mr.  Gibney  as  he  entered, 
"as  the  Earl  of  Hell's  riding  boots." 

"And  as  thick,"  snarled  Scraggs,  "as  McGuffey 's 
head.  Lordy  me,  Gib,  but  it's  thick.  You'd  think 
every  bloomin'  steam  pipe  in  the  universe  had  busted." 

"If  they  was  all  like  the  Maggie's"  Mr.  Gibney  re- 
torted drily,  "we  wouldn't  need  to  worry  none.  Not 
wishin*  to  change  the  conversation,  Scraggsy,  but  re- 
f errin'  to  them  eggs  you  slipped  me  and  Bart  for  supper, 
all  I  gotta  say  is  that  the  next  time  you  go  marketin' 
in  ancient  Egypt,  me  an'  Mac's  goin'  to  tell  the  real 
story  o5  the  S.S.  Maggie  to  the  Inspectors.  Now,  that 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  17 

goes.  Scatter  along  aft,  Scraggs,  and  let  me  know  what 
that  taffrail  log  has  to  say  about  it." 

Captain  Scraggs  read  the  log  and  reported  the  mileage 
to  Mr.  Gibney,  who  figured  with  the  stub  of  a  pencil 
on  the  pilot  house  wall,  wagged  his  head,  and  appeared 
satisfied.  "Better  go  for'd,"  he  ordered,  "an'  help 
The  Squarehead  on  the  lookout.  At  eight  o'clock 
we  ought  to  be  right  under  the  lee  o'  Point  San  Pedro; 
when  I  whistle  we  ought  to  catch  the  echo  thrown  back 
by  the  cliff.  Listen  for  it." 

Promptly  at  eight  o'clock,  Mr.  McGuffey  was  hor- 
rified to  see  his  steam  gauge  drop  half  a  pound  as  the 
Maggie's  siren  sounded.  Mr.  Gibney  stuck  his  ingeni- 
ous head  out  of  the  pilot  house  and  listened,  but  no  an- 
swering echo  reached  his  ears.  "Hear  anything?"  he 
bawled. 

"Heard  the  Maggie's  siren,"  Captain  Scraggs  re- 
torted venomously. 

Mr.  Gibney  leaped  out  on  deck,  selected  a  small  head 
of  cabbage  from  a  broken  crate  and  hurled  it  forward. 
Then  he  sprang  back  into  the  pilot  house  and  straight- 
ened the  Maggie  on  her  course  again.  He  leaned  over 
the  binnacle,  with  the  cuff  of  his  watch  coat  wiping 
away  the  moisture  on  the  glass,  and  studied  the  instru- 
ment carefully.  "I  don't  trust  the  danged  thing," 
he  muttered.  "Guess  I'll  haul  her  off  a  coupler  points 
an'  try  the  whistle  again." 

He  did.  Still  no  echo.  He  was  inclined  to  believe 
that  Captain  Scraggs  had  not  read  the  taffrail  log  cor- 
rectly, and  when  at  eight-thirty  he  tried  the  whistle 
again  he  was  still  without  results  in  the  way  of  an  echo 
from  the  cliff,  albeit  the  engine  room  howler  brought 


18  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

him  several  of  a  profuse  character  from  the  perspiring 
McGuffey. 

"We've  passed  Pedro,"  Mr.  Gibney  decided.  He 
ground  his  cud  and  muttered  ugly  things  to  himself, 
for  his  dead  reckoning  had  gone  astray  and  he  was 
worried.  The  fog,  if  anything,  was  thicker  than  ever. 
He  could  not  even  make  out  the  phosphorescent  water 
that  curled  out  from  the  Maggie9 s  forefoot. 

Time  passed.  Suddenly  Mr.  Gibney  thrilled  elec- 
trically to  a  shrill  yip  from  Captain  Scraggs. 

"What's  that?"  Mr.  Gibney  bawled. 

"I  dunno.     Sounds  like  the  surf,  Gib." 

"Ain't  you  been  on  this  run  long  enough  to  know  that 
the  surf  don't  sound  like  nothin*  else  in  life  but  break- 
ers ?"  Gibney  retorted  vrrathfully. 

"I  ain't  certain,  Gib." 

Instantly  Gibney  signalled  McGuffey  for  half  speed 
ahead. 

"Breakers  on  the  starboard  bow,"  yelled  Captain 
Scraggs. 

"Port  bow,"   The  Squarehead  corrected  him. 

"Oh,  my  great  patience!"  Mr.  Gibney  groaned. 
"They're  on  both  bows  an'  we're  headed  straight  for 
the  beach.  Here's  where  we  all  go  to  hell  together," 
and  he  yanked  wildly  at  the  signal  wire  that  led  to  the 
engine  room,  with  the  intention  of  giving  McGuffey 
four  bells — the  signal  aboard  the  Maggie  for  full  speed 
astern.  At  the  second  jerk  the  wire  broke,  but  not  until 
two  bells  had  sounded  in  the  engine  room — the  signal 
for  full  speed  ahead.  The  efficient  McGuffey  promptly 
kicked  her  wide  open,  and  the  Fates  decreed  that, 
having  done  so,  Mr.  McGuffey  should  forthwith  climb 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  19 

the  ladder  and  thrust  his  head  out  on  deck  for  a  breath 
of  fresh  air.  Instantly  a  chorus  of  shrieks  up  on  the 
fo'castle  head  attracted  his  attention  to  such  a  degree 
that  he  failed  to  hear  the  engine  room  howler  as  Mr. 
Gibney  blew  frantically  into  it. 

Presently,  out  of  the  hubbub  forward,  Mr.  McGuffey 
heard  Captain  Scraggs  wail  frantically:  "Stop  her! 
For  the  love  of  heaven,  stop  her!"  Instantly  the  en- 
gineer dropped  back  into  the  engine  room  and  set  the 
Maggie  full  speed  astern;  then  he  grasped  the  howler 
and  held  it  to  his  ear. 

"Stop  her!"  he  heard  Gibney  shriek.  "Why  in 
blazes  don't  you  stop  her?" 

"She's  set  astern,  Gib.     She'll  ease  up  in  a  minute." 

"You  know  it,"  Gibney  answered  significantly. 

The  Maggie  climbed  lazily  to  the  crest  of  a  long  oily 
roller,  slid  recklessly  down  the  other  side,  and  took  the 
following  sea  over  her  taffrail.  She  still  had  some  head 
on,  but  very  little — not  quite  sufficient  to  give  her 
decent  steerage  way,  as  Mr.  Gibney  discovered  when, 
having  at  length  communicated  his  desires  to  McGuffey, 
he  spun  the  wheel  frantically  in  a  belated  effort  to  swing 
the  Maggie's  dirty  nose  out  to  sea. 

"Nothin'  doin',"  he  snarled.  "She'll  have  to  come 
to  a  complete  stop  before  she  begins  to  walk  backward 
and  get  steerage  way  on  again.  She'll  bump  as  sure  as 
death  an'  taxes." 

She  did — with  a  crack  that  shook  the  rigging  and 
caused  it  to  rattle  like  buckshot  in  a  pan.  A  terrible 
cry — such  a  cry,  indeed,  as  might  burst  from  the  lips 
of  a  mother  seeing  her  only  child  run  down  by  the 
Limited — burst  from  poor  Captain  Scraggs.  "My 


20  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

ship!  my  ship!"  he  howled.  "My  darling  little 
Maggie!  They've  killed  you,  they've  killed  you! 
The  dirty  lubbers!" 

The  succeeding  wave  lifted  the  Maggie  off  the  beach, 
carried  her  in  some  fifty  feet  further,  and  deposited  her 
gently  on  the  sand.  She  heeled  over  to  port  a  little  and 
rested  there  as  if  she  was  very,  very  weary,  nor  could  all 
the  threshing  of  her  screw  in  reverse  haul  her  off  again. 
The  surf,  dashing  in  under  her  fantail,  had  more  power 
than  McGuffey's  engines,  and,  foot  by  foot,  the  Maggie 
proceeded  to  dig  herself  in.  Mr.  Gibney  listened  for 
five  minutes  to  the  uproar  that  rose  from  the  bowels  of 
the  little  steamer  before  he  whistled  up  Mr.  McGuffey. 

"Kill  her,  kill  her,"  he  ordered.  "Your  wheel  will 
bite  into  the  sand  first  thing  you  know,  and  tear  the 
stern  off  her.  You're  shakin'  the  old  girl  to  pieces." 


CHAPTER  IV 

MCGUFFEY  killed  his  engine,  banked  his  fires, 
and  came  up  on  deck,  wiping  his  anxious  face 
with  a  fearfully  filthy  sweat  rag.  At  the  same 
time,  Scraggs  and  Neils  Halvorsen  came  crawling  aft 
over  the  deckload  and  when  they  reached  the  clear  space 
around  the  pilot  house,  Captain  Scraggs  threw  his 
brown  derby  on  the  deck  and  leaped  upon  it  until,  his 
rage  abating  ultimately,  no  power  on  earth,  in  the  air, 
or  under  the  sea,  could  possibly  have  rehabilitated  it 
and  rendered  it  fit  for  further  wear,  even  by  Captain 
Scraggs.  This  petulant  practice  of  jumping  on  his  hat 
was  a  habit  with  Scraggs  whenever  anything  annoyed 
him  particularly  and  was  always  infallible  evidence 
that  a  simple  declarative  sentence  had  stuck  in  his 
throat. 

"Well,  old  whirling  dervish,"  Mr.  Gibney  demanded 
calmly  when  Scraggs  paused  for  lack  of  breath  to 
continue  his  dance,  "what  about  it?  We're  up  Salt 
Creek  without  a  paddle;  all  hell  to  pay  and  no  pitch 
hot." 

"McGuffey's  fired!"     Captain  Scraggs  screeched. 

"Come,  come,  Scraggsy,  old  tarpot,"  Mr.  Gibney 
soothed.  "This  ain't  no  time  for  fightin'.  Thin  kin* 
an'  actin'  is  all  that  saves  the  Maggie  now." 

But  Captain  Scraggs  was  beyond  reason.  "McGuf- 
fey's fired!  McGuffey's  fired!"  he  reiterated.  "The 

21 


22  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

dirty  rotten  wharf  rat!  Call  yourself  an  engineer?" 
he  continued,  witheringly.  "As  an  engineer  you're  a 
howling  success  at  shoemakin',  you  slob.  I'll  fix  your 
clock  for  you,  my  hearty.  I'll  have  your  ticket  took 
away  from  you,  an*  that's  no  Chinaman's  dream, 
nuther." 

"It's  all  my  fault  runnin'  by  dead  reckonin',"  the  hon- 
est Gibney  protested.  "Mac  ain't  to  fault.  The  en- 
gine room  telegraph  busted  an'  he  got  the  wrong  sig- 
nal." 

"It's  his  business  to  see  to  it  that  he's  got  an  engine 
room  telegraph  that  won't  bust " 

"You  dog!"  McGuffey  roared  and  sprang  at  the 
skipper,  who  leaped  nimbly  up  the  little  ladder  to  the 
top  of  the  pilot  house  and  stood  prepared  to  kick  Mr. 
McGuffey  in  the  face  should  that  worthy  venture  up 
after  him.  "  I  can't  persuade  you  to  git  me  nothin'  that 
I  ought  to  have.  I'm  tired  workin'  with  junk  an* 
scraps  an'  copper  wire  and  pieces  o'  string.  I'm 
through!" 

"You're  right — you're  through,  because  you're 
fired!"  Scraggs  shrieked  in  insane  rage.  "Get  off  my 
ship,  you  maritime  impostor,  or  I'll  take  a  pistol  to  you. 
Overboard  with  you,  you  greasy,  addlepated  bounder! 
You're  rotten,  understand?  Rotten!  Rotten!  Rot- 
ten!" 

"You  owe  me  eight  dollars  an'  six  bits,  Scraggs,"  Mr. 
McGuffey  reminded  his  owner  calmly.  "Chuck  down 
the  spondulicks  an'  I'll  get  off  your  ship." 

Captain  Scraggs  was  beyond  reason,  so  he  tossed  the 
money  down  to  the  engineer.  "Now  git,"  he  com- 
manded. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  23 

Without  further  ado,  Mr.  McGuffey  started  across 
the  deckload  to  the  fo'castle  head.  Scraggs  could  not 
see  him  but  he  could  hear  him — so  he  pelted  the  engi- 
neer with  potatoes,  cabbage  heads,  and  onions,  the  vege- 
tables descending  about  the  honest  McGuffey  in  a 
veritable  barrage.  Even  in  the  darkness  several  of 
these  missiles  took  effect. 

Upon  reaching  the  very  apex  of  the  Maggie's  bow, 
Mr.  McGuffey  turned  and  hurled  a  promise  into  the 
darkness:  "If  we  ever  meet  again,  Scraggs,  I'll  make 
Mrs.  Scraggs  a  widow.  Paste  that  in  your  hat — when 
you  get  a  new  one." 

The  Maggie  was  resting  easily  on  the  beach,  with  the 
broken  water  from  the  long  lazy  combers  surging  well 
up  above  her  water  line.  At  most,  six  feet  of  water 
awaited  the  engineer,  who  stood,  peering  shoreward  and 
listening  intently,  oblivious  to  the  stray  missiles  which 
whizzed  past.  Presently,  from  out  of  the  fog,  he  heard 
a  grinding,  metallic  sound  and  through  a  sudden  rift  in 
the  fog  caught  a  brief  glimpse  of  blue  flame  with  sparks 
radiating  faintly  from  it. 

That  settled  matters  for  Bartholomew  McGuffey. 
The  metallic  sound  was  the  protest  from  the  wheels  of  a 
Cliff  House  trolley  car  rounding  a  curve;  the  blue  flame 
was  an  electric  manifestation  due  to  the  intermittent 
contact  of  her  trolley  with  the  wire,  wet  with  fog.  Mc- 
Guffey knew  the  exact  position  of  the  Maggie  now,  so  he 
poised  a  moment  on  her  bow;  as  a  wave  swept  past  him, 
he  leaped  overboard,  scrambled  ashore,  made  his  way 
up  the  beach  to  the  Great  Highway  which  flanks  the 
shore  line  between  the  Cliff  House  and  Ingleside, 
sought  a  roadhouse,  and  warmed  his  interior  with  four 


24  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

fingers  of  whiskey  neat.  Then,  feeling  quite  content 
with  himself,  even  in  his  wet  garments,  he  boarded  a 
city-bound  trolley  car  and  departed  for  the  warmth  and 
hospitality  of  Scab  Johnny's  sailor  boarding  house  in 
Oregon  Street. 


CHAPTER  V 

CAPTAIN  SCRAGGS  continued  to  hurl  other 
people's  vegetables  into  the  murk  forward  for  at 
least  two  minutes  after  Mr.  McGuffey  had 
shaken  the  coal  dust  of  the  Maggie  from  his  feet,  and 
was  only  recalled  tomore  practical  affairs  by  the  bored 
voice  of  Mr.  Gibney. 

"The  owners  o'  them  artichokes  expect  to  get  half  a 
dollar  apiece  for  'em  in  New  York,  Scraggsy.  Cut  it 
out,  old  timer,  or  you'll  have  a  claim  for  a  freight  short- 
age chalked  up  agin  you." 

"Nothin'  matters  any  more,"  Scraggs  replied  in  a 
choked  voice,  and  immediately  sat  down  on  the  half- 
emptied  crate  of  artichokes  and  commenced  to  weep 
bitterly — half  because  of  rage  and  half  because  he  re- 
garded himself  a  pauper.  Already  he  had  a  vision  of 
himself  scouring  the  waterfront  in  search  of  a  job. 

"No  use  boo-hooin'  over  spilt  milk,  Scraggsy."  Al- 
ways philosophical,  the  author  of  the  owner's  woe 
sought  to  carry  the  disaster  off  lightly.  "Don't  add 
your  salt  tears  to  a  saltier  sea  until  you're  certain  you're 
a  total  loss  an'  no  insurance.  I  got  you  into  this  and  I 
suppose  it's  up  to  me  to  get  you  off,  so  I  guess  I'll  com- 
mence operations."  Suiting  the  action  to  the  word, 
Mr.  Gibney  grasped  the  whistle  cord  and  a  strange,  sad, 
.sneezing,  wheezy  moan  resembling  the  expiring  protest 
of  a  lusty  pig  and  gradually  increasing  into  a  long-drawn 

25 


26  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

but  respectable  whistle  rewarded  his  efforts.  For  once, 
he  could  afford  to  be  prodigal  with  the  steam,  and  while 
it  lasted  there  could  be  no  mistaking  the  fact  that  here 
was  a  steamer  in  dire  distress. 

The  weird  call  for  help  brought  Scraggs  around  to  a 
fuller  realization  of  the  enormity  of  the  disaster  which 
had  overtaken  him.  In  his  agony,  he  forgot  to  curse 
his  navigating  officer  for  the  latter's  stubbornness  in 
refusing  to  turn  back  when  the  fog  threatened.  He 
clutched  Mr.  Gibney  by  the  right  arm,  thereby  inter 
rupting  for  an  instant  the  dismal  outburst  from  the 
Maggie's  siren. 

"Gib,"  he  moaned,  "I'm  a  ruined  man.  How're 
we  ever  to  get  the  old  sweetheart  off  whole?  Answer 
me  that,  Gib.  Answer  me,  I  say.  How're  we  to  get 
my  Maggie  off  the  beach?  " 

Mr.  Gibney  shook  himself  loose  from  that  frantic  grip 
and  continued  his  pull  on  the  whistle  until  the  Maggie, 
taking  a  false  note,  quavered,  moaned,  spat  steam  a 
minute,  and  subsided  with  what  might  be  termed  a  nau- 
tical sob.  "Now  see  what  you've  done,"  he  bawled. 
"You've  made  me  bust  the  whistle." 

"Answer  my  question,  Gib." 

"We'll  never  get  her  off  if  you  don't  quit  interferin' 
an'  give  me  time  to  think.  I'll  admit  there  ain't  much 
of  a  chance,  because  it's  dead  low  water  now  an'  just  as 
soon  as  the  tide  is  at  the  flood  she'll  drive  further  up  the 
beach  an'  fall  apart." 

"Perhaps  McGuffey  will  have  heart  enough  to  tele- 
phone into  the  city  for  a  tug." 

"'Tain't  scarcely  probable,  Scraggsy.  You  abused 
him  vile  an'  threw  a  lot  of  fodder  at  him." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  27 

"I  wish  I'd  been  took  with  paralysis  first,"  Scraggs 
wailed  bitterly.  "You'd  best  jump  ashore,  Gib,  an' 
'phone  in.  We're  just  below  the  Cliff  House  and  you 
can  run  up  to  one  o'  them  beach  resorts  an'  'phone  in  to 
the  Red  Stack  Tug  Boat  Company." 

"'Twouldn't  be  ethics  for  me,  the  registered  master 
o'  the  Maggie,  to  desert  the  ship,  Scraggsy,  old  stick-in- 
the-mud.  What's  the  matter  with  gettin'  your  own 
shanks  wet?" 

"I  dassen't,  Gib.  I've  had  a  touch  of  chills  an'  fever 
ever  since  I  used  to  run  mate  up  the  San  Joaquin 
sloughs.  Here's  a  nickel  to  drop  in  the  telephone  slot, 
Gib.  There's  a  good  fellow." 

"  Scraggsy,  you're  deludin'  yourself.  Show  me  a  tug- 
boat skipper  that  would  come  out  here  on  a  night  like 
this  to  pick  up  the  S.  S.  Maggie,  two  decks  an'  no  bot- 
tom an'  loaded  with  garden  truck,  an'  I'll  wag  my  ears 
an'  look  at  the  back  o'  my  neck.  She  ain't  worth 
it." 

"Ain't  worth  it!  Why,  man,  I  paid  fifteen  hundred 
hard  cash  dollars  for  her." 

"Fourteen  hundred  an'  ninety-nine  dollars  an*  nine- 
ty-nine cents  too  much.  They  seen  you  comin'.  How- 
ever, grantin'  for  the  sake  of  argyment  that  she's  worth 
the  tow,  the  next  question  them  towboat  skippers'll 
ask  is:  'Who's  goin'  to  pay  the  bill?'  It'll  be  two 
hundred  an'  fifty  dollars  at  the  lowest  figger,  an'  if  you 
got  that  much  credit  with  the  towboat  company  you're 
some  high  financier.  Ain't  that  logic?" 

"I'm  afraid,"  Scraggs  replied  sadly,  "it  is.  Still, 
they'd  have  a  lien  on  the  Maggie " 

"Steamer  ahoy!"  came  a  voice  from  the  beach. 


28  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Man  with  a  megaphone,"  Mr.  Gibney  cried.  "Ahoy! 
Ahoy,  there!" 

/'Who  are  you  an'  what's  the  trouble?" 

Captain  Scraggs  took  it  upon  himself  to  answer: 
"American  steamer  Mag " 

Mr.  Gibney  sprang  upon  him  tigerishly,  placed  a 
horny,  tobacco-smelling  palm  across  Scraggs's  mouth 
and  effectively  smothered  all  further  sound.  "Amer- 
ican steamer  Yankee  Prince,"  he  bawled  like  a  veritable 
Bull  of  Bashan,  "of  Boston,  Hong  Kong  to  Frisco  with 
a  general  cargo  of  sandal  wood,  rice,  an'  silk.  Where're 
we  at?" 

"Just  outside  the  Gate.  Half  a  mile  south  o'  the 
Cliff  House." 

"  Telephone  in  for  a  tug.  We're  in  nice  shape,  restin' 
easy,  but  our  rudder's  gone  an'  the  after  web  o'  the 
crank  shaft's  busted.  Telephone  in,  my  man,  an'  I'll 
make  it  up  to  you  when  we  get  to  a  safe  anchorage. 
.Who  are  you?" 

"Lindstrom,  of  the  Golden  Gate  Life  Saving  Sta- 
tion." 

"I'll  not  forget  you,  Lindstrom.  My  owners  are 
Yankees,  but  they're  sports." 

"All  right.     I'll  telephone.     On  my  way!" 

"God  speed  you,"  murmured  Mr.  Gibney,  and  re- 
leased his  hold  on  Captain  Scraggs,  who  instantly  threw 
his  arms  around  the  navigating  officer's  burly  neck. 
"I  forgive  you,  Adelbert,"  he  crooned.  "I  forgive  you 
freely.  By  the  tail  of  the  Great  Sacred  Bull,  you're  a 
marvel.  She's  an  all-night  fog  or  I'm  a  Chinaman,  and 
if  it  only  stays  thick  enough " 

"It'll  hold,"  Gibney  retorted  doggedly.     "It's  a  tule 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  29 

fog.  They  always  hold.  Quit  huggin'  me.  Your 
breath's  bad.  Them  eggs,  I  guess." 

Captain  Scraggs,  hurled  forcibly  backward,  bumped 
into  the  pilot  house,  but  lost  none  of  his  enthusiasm. 
"  You're  a  jewel,"  he  declared.  "  Oh,  man,  what  a  head ! 
Whatever  made  you  think  of  the  Yankee  Prince?" 

"Because,"  Mr.  Gibney  answered  calmly,  "there 
ain't  no  such  ship,  this  land  of  ours  bein'  a  free  republic 
where  princes  don't  grow.  Still,  it's  a  nice  name, 
Scraggs,  old  tarpot — more  particular  since  I  thought  it 
up  in  a  hurry.  Eh,  what?" 

"Halvorsen,"  cried  Captain  Scraggs. 

The  lone  deckhand  emerged  from  a  hole  in  the  freight 
forward  whither  he  had  retreated  to  escape  the  vegeta- 
ble barrage  put  over  by  Captain  Scraggs  when  Mc- 
Guffey  left  the  ship.  "Aye,  aye,  sir,"  he  boomed. 

"All  hands  below  to  the  galley!"  Scraggs  shouted. 
"While  we're  waitin'  for  this  here  towboat  I'll  brew  a 
scuttle  o'  grog  to  celebrate  the  discovery  o'  real  sea- 
farin'  talent.  Gib,  my  dear  boy,  I'm  proud  of  you.  No 
matter  what  happens,  I'll  never  have  no  other  navi- 
gatin'  officer." 

"Don't  crow  till  you're  out  o'  the  woods,"  the  astute 
Gibney  warned  him. 


CHAPTER  VI 

IN  THE  office  of  the  Red  Stack  Tug  Boat  Company, 
Captain  Dan  Hicks,  master  of  the  tug  Aphrodite; 
Captain  Jack  Flaherty,  master  of  the  Bodega,  and 
Tiernan,  the  assistant  superintendent  on  night  watch, 
sat  around  a  hot  little  box  stove  engaged  in  that  occupa- 
tion so  dear  to  the  maritime  heart,  to- wit:  spinning 
yarns.     Dan  Hicks  had  the  floor,  and  was  relating  a  tale 
that  had  to  do  with  his  life  as  a  freight  and  passenger 
skipper. 

"We  was  makin'  up  to  the  dock  when  I  see  the  gen- 
eral agent  standin*  in  the  door  o'  the  dock  office — an'  all 
of  a  sudden  I  didn't  feel  so  chipper  about  havin'  crossed 
Humboldt  bar  in  a  sou'easter.  I  saw  the  old  man  run- 
nin'  his  eye  along  forty  foot  o'  twisted  pipe  railin',  a 
wrecked  bridge,  three  bent  stanchions  an'  every  door  an' 
window  on  the  starboard  side  o'  the  ship  stove  in,  while 
the  passengers  crowded  the  rail  lookin'  cold  an'  miser- 
able, pea-green  an'  thankful.  No  need  for  me  to  do  any 
explainin'.  He  knew.  He  throws  his  dead  fish  eye  up  to 
me  on  what's  left  o'  the  bridge  an'  I  felt  my  job  was 
vacant. 

'"We  was  hit  by  a  sea  or  two  on  Humboldt  bar,  sir,' 
I  says,  as  if  gettin'  hit  by  a  sea  or  two  an'  havin'  the 
ship  gutted  was  an  every-day  experience." 

"  'Is  that  so,  Hicks? '  says  he  sweetly.  '  Well,  now,  if 
you  hadn't  told  me  that  I'd  ha'  jumped  to  the  conclu- 

30 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  31 

sion  that  a  couple  o'  the  mess  boys  had  got  fightin'  an' 
wrecked  the  ship  before  you  could  separate  'em.  Why 
in  this  an'  that,'  he  says,  *  didn't  you  stick  inside  when 
any  dumb  fool  could  see  the  bar  was  breakin'?' 

"'I  wanted  to  keep  the  comp'ny's  sailin'  schedule  un- 
broken, sir,'  I  says,  tryin'  to  be  funny. 

'"Well,  Captain,'  he  says,  'it  'pears  to  me  you've 
broken  damned  near  everything  else  tryin'  to  do  it.' 

"I  was  certain  he  was  goin'  to  set  me  down,  but  the 
worst  I  got  was  a  three  months'  lay-off  to  teach  me 
common  sense " 

The  telephone  rang  and  Tiernan  answered.  Hicks 
and  Flaherty  hitched  forward  in  their  chairs  to  listen. 

"Hello.  .  .  .  Yes,  Red  Stack  office.  .  .  . 
Steamer  Yan kee  Prince.  .  .  .  What's  that?  .  .  . 
silk  and  rice?  .  .  .  Half  a  mile  below  the  Cliff 
House,  eh?  .  .  .  Sure,  I'll  send  a  tug  right  away, 
Lindstrom." 

Tiernan  hung  up  and  faced  the  two  skippers.  "Gen- 
tlemen," he  announced,  "here's  a  chance  for  a  little 
salvage  money  to-night.  The  American  steamer  Yan- 
kee Prince  is  ashore  half  a  mile  below  the  Cliff  House* 
She's  a  big  tramp  with  a  valuable  cargo  from  Hong 
Kong,  with  her  rudder  gone  and  her  crank  shaft 
busted." 

"It's  high  water  at  twelve  thirty-seven,"  Jack 
Flaherty  pleaded.  "You'd  better  send  me,  Tiernan. 
The  Bodega  has  more  power  than  the  Aphrodite." 

This  was  the  truth  and  Dan  Hicks  knew  it,  but  he 
was  not  to  be  beaten  out  of  his  share  of  the  salvage 
by  such  flimsy  argument.  "Jack,"  he  pleaded,  "don't 
be  a  hog  all  the  time.  The  Yankee  Prince  is  an  eight 


32  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

thousand  ton  vessel  and  it's  a  two-tug  job.  Better 
send  us  both,  Tiernan,  and  play  safe.  Chances  are  our 
competitors  have  three  tugs  on  the  way  right  now." 

"What  a  wonderful  imagination  you  have,  Dan. 
Eight  thousand  tons!  You're  crazy,  man.  She's 
thirteen  hundred  net  register  and  I  know  it  because  I 
was  in  Newport  News  when  they  launched  her,  and  I 
went  out  with  her  skipper  on  the  trial  trip.  She's  a 
long,  narrow-gutted  craft,  with  engines  aft,  like  a  lake 
steamer." 

"We'll  play  safe,"  Tiernan  decided.  "Go  to  it— 
both  of  you,  and  may  the  best  man  win.  She'll  be- 
long to  you,  Jack,  if  she's  thirteen  hundred  net  and 
you  get  your  line  aboard  first.  If  she's  as  big  as  Dan 
says  she  is,  you'll  be  equal  partners " 

But  he  was  talking  to  himself.  Down  the  docks 
Hicks  and  Flaherty  were  racing  for  the  respective  com- 
mands, each  shouting  to  his  night  watchman  to  pipe 
all  hands  on  deck.  Fortunately,  a  goodly  head  of  steam 
was  up  in  each  tug's  boilers;  because  of  the  fog  and 
the  liability  to  collisions  and  a  consequent  hasty  sum- 
mons, one  engineer  on  each  tug  was  on  duty.  Before 
Hicks  and  Flaherty  were  in  their  respective  pilot 
houses  the  oil  burners  were  roaring  lustily  under  their 
respective  boilers;  the  lines  were  cast  off  within  a  min- 
ute of  each  other,  and  the  two  tugs  raced  down  the 
bay  through  the  darkness  and  fog. 

Both  Hicks  and  Flaherty  had  grown  old  in  the  tow- 
boat  service  and  the  rules  of  the  road  rested  lightly 
on  their  sordid  souls.  They  were  going  over  a  course 
they  knew  by  heart — wherefore  the  fog  had  no  terrors 
for  them.  Down  the  bay  they  raced,  the  Bodega 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  33 

t 

leading  slightly,  both  tugs  whistling  at  half-minute 
intervals.  Out  through  the  Gate  they  nosed  their 
way,  heaving  the  lead  continuously,  made  a  wide  de- 
tour around  Mile  Rock  and  the  Seal  Rocks,  swung  a 
mile  to  the  south  of  the  position  of  the  Maggie,  and 
then  came  cautiously  up  the  coast,  whistling  continu- 
ously to  acquaint  the  Yankee  Prince  with  their  presence 
in  the  neighbourhood.  In  anticipation  of  the  necessity 
for  replying  to  this  welcome  sound,  Captain  Scraggs 
and  Mr.  Gibney  had,  for  the  past  two  hours,  busied 
themselves  getting  up  another  head  of  steam  in  the 
Maggie's  boilers,  repairing  the  whistle,  and  splicing  the 
wires  of  the  engine  room  telegraph.  Like  the  wise 
men  they  were,  however,  they  declined  to  sound  the 
Maggie's  siren  until  the  tugs  were  quite  close.  Even 
then,  Mr.  Gibney  shuddered,  but  needs  must  when  the 
devil  drives,  so  he  pulled  the  whistle  cord  and  was  re- 
warded with  a  weird,  mournful  grunt,  dying  away  into  a 
gasp. 

"Sounds  like  she  has  the  pip,"  Jack  Flaherty  re- 
marked to  his  mate. 

"Must  have  taken  on  some  of  that  dirty  Asiatic 
water,"  Dan  Hicks  soliloquized,  "and  now  her  tubes 
have  gone  to  glory." 

Immediately,  both  tugs  kicked  ahead  under  a  dead 
slow  bell,  guided  by  a  series  of  toots  as  brief  as  Mr. 
Gibney  could  make  them,  and  presently  both  tug  look- 
outs reported  breakers  dead  ahead;  whereupon  Jack 
Flaherty  got  out  his  largest  megaphone  and  bellowed: 
"Yankee  Prince,  ahoy!"  in  his  most  approved  fashiom. 
Dan  Hicks  did  likewise.  This  irritated  the  avaricious 
Flaherty,  so  he  turned  his  megaphone  in  the  direction 


34  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

< 

ef  his  rival  and  begged  him,  if  he  still  retained  any  of 

the  instincts  of  a  seaman,  to  shut  up;  to  which  entreaty 
Dan  Hicks  replied  with  an  acidulous  query  as  to  whether 
©r  not  Jack  Flaherty  thought  he  owned  the  sea. 

For  half  a  minute  this  mild  repartee  continued,  to  be 
interrupted  presently  by  a  whoop  from  out  of  the  fog. 
It  was  Mr.  Gibney.  He  did  not  possess  a  megaphone 
so  he  had  gone  below  and  appropriated  a  section  of 
stove-pipe  from  the  galley  range,  formed  a  mouthpiece 
of  cardboard  and  produced  a  makeshift  that  suited  his 
purpose  admirably. 

"Cut  out  that  bickerin'  like  a  pair  of  old  women 
an*  'tend  to  your  business,"  he  commanded.  "Get 
busy  there — both  of  you,  and  shoot  a  line  aboard. 
There's  work  enough  for  two." 

Dan  Hicks  sent  a  man  forward  to  heave  the  lead 
under  the  nose  of  the  Aphrodite,  which  was  edging 
in  gingerly  toward  the  voice.  He  had  a  searchlight 
but  he  did  not  attempt  to  use  it,  knowing  full  well  that 
in  such  a  fog  it  would  be  of  no  avail.  Guided,  there- 
fore, by  the  bellowings  of  Mr.  Gibney,  reinforced  by 
the  shrill  yips  of  Captain  Scraggs,  the  tug  crept  in 
closer  and  closer,  and  when  it  seemed  that  they  must 
be  within  a  hundred  feet  of  the  surf,  Dan  Hicks  trained 
his  Lyle  gun  in  the  direction  of  Mr.  Gibney 's  voice 
and  shot  a  heaving  line  into  the  fog. 

Almost  simultaneous  with  the  report  of  the  gun  came 
a  shriek  of  pain  from  Captain  Scraggs.  Straight  and 
true  the  wet,  heavy  knotted  end  of  the  heaving  line 
came  in  over  the  Maggie's  quarter  and  struck  him  in 
the  mouth.  In  the  darkness  he  staggered  back  from 
the  stinging  blow,  clutched  wildly  at  the  air,  slipped 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  35 

and  rolled  over  among  the  vegetables  with  the  precious 
rope  clasped  to  his  breast. 

"I  got  it,"  he  sputtered,  "I  got  it,  Gib." 

"Safe,  O!"  Mr.  Gibney  bawled.  "Pay  out  your 
hawser." 

They  met  it  at  the  taffrail  as  it  came  up  out  of  the 
breakers,  wet  but  welcome.  "Pass  it  around  the  main- 
mast, Scraggsy,"  Mr.  Gibney  cautioned.  "If  we  make 
fast  to  the  towin'  bits,  the  first  jerk'll  pull  the  anchor 
bolts  up  through  the  deck." 

When  the  hawser  had  been  made  fast  to  the  main- 
mast, the  leathern  lungs  of  Mr.  Gibney  made  due  an- 
nouncement of  the  fact  to  the  expectant  Captain 
Hicks.  "As  soon  as  you  feel  you've  got  a  grip  on  her," 
he  yelled,  "just  hold  her  steady  so  she  won't  drive  fur- 
ther up  the  beach  when  I  get  my  anchor  up.  She'll 
come  out  like  a  loose  tooth  at  the  tip  of  the  flood." 

The  Aphrodite  forged  slowly  ahead,  taking  in  the 
slack  of  the  hawser.  Ten  minutes  passed  but  still  the 
hawser  lay  limp  across  the  Maggie's  stern.  Presently 
out  of  the  fog  came  the  voice  of  Captain  Dan  Hicks. 

"Flaherty!  Flaher-tee!  For  the  love  of  life,  Jack, 
where  are  you?  Chuck  me  a  line,  Jack.  My  hawser's 
snarled  in  my  screw  and  I'm  drifting  on  to  the  beach." 

"Leggo  your  anchor,  you  boob,"  Jack  Flaherty  ad- 
vised. 

"I  want  a  line  an'  none  o'  your  damned  advice," 
raved  Hicks. 

'  'Tain't  my  fault  if  you  get  in  too  close." 

"I'm  bumping,  Jack.  I'm  bangin*  the  heart  out  of 
her.  Come  on,  you  cur,  and  haul  me  off." 

"If  I  pull  you  off,  Dan  Hicks,  will  you  leave  that 


36  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

steamer  alone?  You've  had  your  chance  and  failed  to 
smother  it.  Now  let  me  have  a  hack  at  her." 

"It's  a  bargain,  Jack.  I'm  not  badly  snarled;  if 
you  haul  me  out  to  deep  water  I  can  shake  the  hawser 
loose.  I'm  afraid  to  try  so  close  in." 

"Comin',"  yelled  Flaherty. 

"Now,  ain't  that  a  raw  deal?"  Scraggs  complained. 
"That  junk  thief  gets  hauled  o£  first." 

"The  first  shall  be  last  an'  the  last  shall  be  first," 
Gibney  quoted  piously.  "Don't  be  a  crab,  Scraggs. 
Pray  that  the  fog  don't  lift." 

Out  of  the  fog  there  rose  a  great  hubbub  of  engine 
room  gongs,  the  banging  of  the  Bodega's  Lyle  gun,  and 
much  profanity.  Presently  this  ceased,  so  Scraggs  and 
Gibney  knew  Dan  Hicks  was  being  hauled  off  at  last. 
While  they  waited  for  further  developments,  Scraggs 
sucked  at  his  old  pipe  and  Mr.  Gibney  munched  a 
French  carrot.  "If  you  hadn't  canned  McGuffey," 
the  latter  opined,  "we  might  have  been  able  to  back 
off  under  our  own  power  as  soon  as  the  tide  is  at  flood. 
This  delay  is  worryin'  me." 

Following  some  fifteen  minutes  of  kicking  and  strug- 
gling out  in  the  deep  water,  whither  the  Bodega  had 
dragged  her,  the  Aphrodite  at  length  freed  herself  of 
the  clinging  hawser;  whereupon  she  backed  in  again, 
cautiously  reeving  in  the  hawser  as  she  came.  Pres- 
ently, Dan  Hicks,  true  to  his  promise  to  abandon  the 
prize  to  Jack  Flaherty,  turned  his  megaphone  beach- 
ward  and  shouted: 

" Yankee  Prince,  ahoy!  Cast  off  my  hawser.  The 
other  tug  will  put  a  line  aboard  you." 

But  Mr.  Gibney  was  now  master  of  the  situation. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  37 

He  had  a  good  hemp  hawser  stretching  between  him 
and  salvation  and  until  he  should  be  hauled  off  he  had 
no  intention  of  slipping  that  cable.  "Nothin5  doin'," 
he  answered.  "We're  hard  an'  fast,  I  tell  you,  and 
I'll  take  no  chances.  It's  you  or  both  of  you,  but  I'll 
not  cast  off  this  hawser.  If  you  want  to  let  go,  cast 
the  hawser  off  at  your  end."  Sotto  voce  he  remarked 
to  Scraggs:  "I  see  him  slippin5  a  three  hundred  dollar 
hawser,  eh,  Scraggsy,  old  stick-in-the-mud?" 

"But  I  promised  Flaherty  I'd  let  you  alone,"  pleaded 
Hicks. 

"What  do  you  think  you  have  your  string  fast  to, 
anyhow?  A  bay  scow?  If  you  fellows  endanger  my 
ship  bickerin'  over  the  salvage  I'll  have  you  before  the 
Inspectors  on  charges  as  sure  as  God  made  little  apples. 
I  got  sixty  witnesses  here  to  back  up  my  charges,  too." 

"You  hear  him,  Jack?"  howled  Hicks. 

" Wouldn't  that  swab  Flaherty  drive  you  to  drink," 
Gibney  complained.  "Trumpin*  his  partner's  ace  just 
for  the  glory  an'  profit  o'  gettin'  ahead  of  him?"  Aloud 
he  addressed  the  invisible  Flaherty:  "Take  it  or 
leave  it,  brother  Flaherty." 

"I'll  take  it,"  Flaherty  responded  promptly. 

Twenty  minutes  later,  after  much  backing  and  swear- 
ing and  heaving  of  lines  the  Bodega's  hawser  was  finally 
put  board  the  Maggie.  Mr.  Gibney  judged  it  would  be 
safe  now  to  fasten  this  line  to  the  towing  bitts. 

Suddenly,  Captain  Scraggs  remembered  there  was  no 
one  on  duty  in  the  Maggie's  engine  room.  With  a  half 
sob,  he  slid  down  the  greasy  ladder,  tore  open  the  fur- 
nace doors  and  commenced  shovelling  in  coal  with  a 
recklessness  that  bordered  on  insanity.  When  the 


38  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

indicator  showed  eighty  pounds  of  steam  he  came  up 
on  deck  and  discovered  Mr.  Gibney  walking  solemnly 
round  and  round  the  little  capstan  up  forward.  It  was 
creaking  and  groaning  dismally.  Captain  Scraggs 
thrust  his  engine  room  torch  above  his  head  to  light 
the  scene  and  gazed  upon  his  navigating  officer  in  blank 
amazement. 

"What  foolishness  is  this,  Gib?"  he  demanded. 
"Are  you  clean  daffy,  doin'  a  barn  dance  around  that 
rusty  capstan,  makin'  a  noise  fit  to  frighten  the  fish?" 

"Not  much,"  came  the  laconic  reply.  "I'm  a  smart 
man.  I'm  raisin'  both  anchors." 

"Well,  all  I  got  to  remark  is  that  it  takes  a  smart 
man  to  raise  both  anchors  when  we  only  got  one  anchor 
to  our  blessed  name.  An'  with  that  anchor  safe  on 
the  fo'castle  head,  I,  for  one,  can't  see  no  sense  in 
raisin'  it." 

"You  tarnation  jackass!"  sighed  Gibney.  "You 
forget  who  we  are.  Do  you  s'pose  the  steamer  Yankee 
Prince  can  lay  on  the  beach  all  night  with  both  anchors 
out,  an'  then  be  got  ready  to  tow  off  in  three  shakes  of 
a  lamb's  tail?  It  takes  noise  to  get  up  two  anchors — 
so  I'm  makin'  all  the  noise  I  can.  Got  any  steam?" 

"Eighty  pounds,"  Scraggs  confessed.  Having  for 
the  moment  forgotten  his  identity,  he  was  confused 
in  the  presence  of  the  superior  intelligence  of  his  navigat- 
ing officer. 

"Run  aft,  then,  Scraggs,  an'  turn  that  cargo  winch 
over  to  beat  the  band  until  I  tell  you  to  stop.  With 
the  drum  runnin'  free  she'll  make  noise  enough  for  a 
winch  three  times  her  size,  but  you  might  give  the 
necessary  yells  to  make  it  more  lifelike." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  39 

Captain  Scraggs  fled  to  the  winch.  At  the  end  of 
five  minutes,  Mr.  Gibney  appeared  and  bade  him 
desist.  Then,  turning^his  improvised  megaphone  sea- 
ward he  addressed  an  imaginary  mate:  "Mr.  Thomp- 
son, have  you  got  your  port  anchor  up?  " 

Scraggs  took  the  cue  immediately.  "All  clear  for- 
ward, sir,"  he  piped. 

"Send  the  bosun  for'd  an'  heave  the  lead,  Mr. 
Thompson." 

"Very  well,  sir." 

Here  The  Squarehead,  who  had  been  enjoying  the 
unique  situation  immensely,  decided  to  take  a  hand. 
Presently,  in  sing-song  cadence  he  was  reporting  the 
depth  of  water  alongside. 

"That'll  do,  bosun,"  Gibney  thundered.  Then, 
in  his  natural  voice  to  Scraggs:  "All  set,  Scraggsy. 
Guess  we're  ready  to  be  pulled  off.  Get  down  in  the 
engine  room  and  stand  by  for  full  speed  ahead  when  I 
give  the  word." 

"Quick!  Hurry!"  Scraggs  entreated  as  he  disap- 
peared through  the  little  engine-room  hatch,  for  the 
tide  was  now  at  the  tip  of  the  flood  and  the  Maggie 
was  bumping  wickedly  and  driving  further  up  the 
beach.  Mr.  Gibney  turned  his  stovepipe  seaward  and 
shouted :  "  Tugboats,  ahoy ! " 

"Ahoy!"  they  answered  in  unison. 

"All  read-y-y-y !     Let  'er  go-o-o-o ! " 

The  Squarehead  stationed  himself  at  the  bitts  with  a 
lantern  and  Mr.  Gibney  hastened  to  the  pilot  house  and 
took  his  place  at  the  wheel.  When  the  hawsers  com- 
mence to  lift  out  of  the  sea,  The  Squarehead  gave  a 
warning  shout,  whereupon  Mr.  Gibney  called  the 


40  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

engine  room.  "Give  her  the  gun,"  he  commanded 
Scraggs.  "Pull  against  them  tugs  for  all  you're  worth. 
Remember  this  is  the  steamer  Yankee  Prince.  We 
must  not  come  off  too  readily." 

Captain  Scraggs  opened  the  throttle,  and  while  the 
two  tugs  steadily  drew  her  off  into  deep  water,  the 
Maggie  fought  valiantly  to  stick  to  the  beach  and  even 
to  continue  her  interrupted  journey  overland.  She 
merely  succeeded  in  stretching  both  hawsers  taut; 
slowly  she  was  drawn  seaward,  stern  first,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  fifteen  minutes'  steady  pulling,  Mr.  Gibney 
could  restrain  himself  no  longer.  He  rang  for  full 
speed  astern — and  got  it  promptly.  Then,  calling 
Neils  Halvorsen  to  aid  him,  he  abandoned  the  wheel 
and  scrambled  aft. 

With  no  one  at  the  wheel  the  Maggie  shot  off  at  a 
tangent  and  the  hawsers  slacked  immediately.  In 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye  Mr.  Gibney  had  cast  them  off, 
and  as  the  ends  disappeared  with  a  swish  over  the  stern 
he  ran  back  to  the  pilot  house,  rang  for  full  speed  ahead, 
put  his  helm  hard  over,  and  headed  the  Maggie  in  the 
general  direction  of  China,  although  as  a  matter  of  fact 
he  cared  not  what  direction  he  pursued,  provided  he 
got  away  from  the  beach  and  placed  distance  between 
the  Maggie  and  two  soon-to-be-furious  tugboat  skippers. 


CHAPTER  VH 

A  THE  Maggie  chugged  blithely  away,  the  navi- 
gating officer's  soul  expanded  in  song,  and  in 
the  voice  of  a  bull  walrus  he  delivered  himself 
of  a  deep  sea  chantey  more  popular  than  proper. 

Presently,  away  off  in  the  fog,  he  heard  the  Bodega 
whistle.  The  Aphrodite  answered  immediately.  Adel- 
bert  P.  Gibney  smiled  and  bit  a  large  crescent  out  of 
his  navy  plug,  for  his  soul  was  at  peace.  When  The 
Squarehead  came  into  the  pilot  house  presently  and 
grinned  at  him,  Mr.  Gibney  handed  Neils  an  electric 
torch.  "Prowl  around  below  in  the  old  ruin,  Neils," 
he  commanded,  "and  see  if  we're  makin'  any  water." 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  Neils  Halvorsen  returned 
to  report  the  Maggie  apparently  undamaged,  so  Mr. 
Gibney  changed  his  course  and  headed  stealthily  in  the 
direction  of  the  whistling  tugs.  He  came  up  behind 
them  presently — approaching  so  close  under  cover 
of  the  fog  that  he  could  hear  Dan  Hicks  and  Jack 
Flaherty,  both  under  a  dead-slow  bell,  felicitating  each 
other  through  their  megaphones. 

"Where  d'ye  suppose  that  dirty  scoundrel's  gone?" 
Hicks  was  demanding. 

"Out  to  sea,  of  course,"  Flaherty  bellowed.  "He'll 
stand  off  until  the  fog  lifts  and  then  come  ramping  in 
as  proud  as  Lucifer  and  look  amazed  when  we  send  him 
in  a  bill." 

41 


42  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Bill!"  Hicks'  voice  dripped  with  sarcasm.  "The 
Red  Stack  Company  will  libel  him,  and  if  the  old  man 
doesn't,  me  an'  my  crew  will." 

"I'll  bet  a  ripe  peach  he's  a  Jap,  with  a  scoundrelly 
white  skipper  and  white  mates.  They'll  all  stick  to- 
gether for  a  five-dollar  bill  and  swear  they  never  was  on  the 
beach  at  all.  If  they  do,  how're  we  goin'  to  prove  it?" 

"That's  logic,"  the  eavesdropping  Gibney  murmured 
to  the  binnacle. 

"Oh,  hell's  bells,  shut  up  and  let's  go  home,"  Dan 
Hicks  cried  wearily.  "We  can  catch  him  when  he 


comes  in." 


"Suppose  he  doesn't  come  in.  Suppose  he's  bound 
for  Seattle,  Dan." 

"We  can  libel  him  wherever  he  goes." 

"I'll  bet  he  gave  us  a  fictitious  name,  Dan!" 

"Stow  that  grief,  Jack.     Stow  it,  or  I'll  go  mad. 

The  Bodega  has  more  speed  than  the  Aphrodite,  so 

poke  ahead  there  and  let's  try  to  get  in  an  hour's  sleep 

before  daylight.     If  you  can't  feel  your  way  in  I  can." 

"I'll  just  tag  along  silent  and  lazy-like  after  you 

two  misfortunates,"  Mr.  Gibney  decided,  "an'  you'll 

do  my  whistlin'  for  me."     He  called  Scraggs  on  the 

howler  and  explained  the  situation.     "Regular  Cook's 

tour,"  he  exulted.     "Personally  conducted.    Off  again, 

on  again,  away  again,  Finnegan — and  not  a  nickel's 

worth  of  loss  unless  you  count  them  vegetables  you 

hove  at  McGuffey.    Ain't  you  proud  o'  your  navi- 

gatin'  officer,  Scraggsy,  old  tarpot?" 

"I  am,  Gib,  but  I'll  be  prouder'n  ever  if  you  can  fol- 
low them  towboats  in  without  havin'  to  claw  off  Baker's 
beach  or  the  Point  Bonita  rocks." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  43 

"Calamity  howler,"  Gibney  growled.  Half  an  hour 
later  he  caught  the  echo  of  the  Bodega's  whistle  as  the 
sound  was  hurled  back  from  the  high  cliffs  at  Land's 
End,  off  to  starboard.  A  minute  later  he  heard  the 
hoarse  growl  of  the  siren  from  the  fog  station  on  Point 
Bonita,  on  the  port  beam.  He  knew  where  he  was  now 
with  as  much  certainty  as  if  he  was  navigating  in  broad 
daylight,  so  he  loafed  along  a  couple  of  hundred  yards 
behind  the  Bodega,  until  the  Maggie  ceased  pitching — 
when  he  knew  he  was  in  the  still  water  inside  the  en- 
trance. So  he  sheered  over  to  starboard,  with  Neils 
Halvorsen  heaving  the  lead,  and  dropped  anchor  in  five 
fathoms  under  the  lee  of  Fort  Mason.  He  was  quite 
confident  of  his  ability  to  sneak  along  the  waterfront 
and  creep  into  the  Maggie's  berth  at  Jackson  Street 
bulkhead,  but  having  gone  astray  in  his  calculations 
once  that  night,  a  vagrant  sense  of  consideration  for 
Captain  Scraggs  decided  him  to  take  no  more  risks  until 
the  fog  should  lift.  He  could  hear  the  Bodega  and  the 
Aphrodite  tooting  as  they  continued  down  the  bay, 
so  he  knew  they  were  headed  for  their  berths  at  the 
foot  of  Broadway,  fog  or  no  fog. 

When  Captain  Scraggs,  having  banked  his  fires, 
came  up  out  of  the  engine  room,  Mr.  Gibney  laid 
a  great  paw  paternally  upon  the  skipper's  shoulder. 
"Scraggsy,  old  salamander,"  he  announced,  "I  think 
I've  done  enough  to-night  to  entitle  me  to  some  sleep 
until  this  tule  fog  lifts.  Am  I  right?  " 

"You  certainly  are,  Gib,  my  dear  boy." 

"Very  well,  then.  I'll  turn  in.  As  for  you,  old 
sailor,  your  night's  work  is  not  ended.  Have  The 
Squarehead  row  you  ashore  in  the  skiff;  I'll  stay  up  an' 


44  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

work  the  patent  foghorn  so  he  can  find  his  way  back 
to  the  Maggie,  while  you  hike  down  town " 

"What  for?"  Scraggs  demanded  irritably.  "I'm  all 
wore  out." 

"This  adventure  ain't  ended,"  Mr.  Gibney  warned 
him.  "There's  a  witness  to  our  perfidy  still  at  large. 
His  name  is  B.  McGuffey,  esquire,  an'  I'll  lay  you  ten 
to  one  you'll  find  him  asleep  in  Scab  Johnny's  boardin' 
house.  Go  to  him,  Scraggsy,  an'  bring  a  pint  flask 
with  you  when  you  do;  wake  him  up,  beg  his  pardon, 
take  him  to  breakfast,  and  promise  him  you'll  do  some- 
thin'  for  his  boilers.  Old  Mac's  got  a  heart  as  tender 
as  a  infant's.  You  can  win  him  over." 

"Oh,  Gib,  use  some  common  sense.  Mac'll  lay 
abed  until  noon.  It  stands  to  reason  he'll  have  to, 
because  he  didn't  take  no  change  of  clothin'  with  him, 
so  he'll  just  naturally  have  to  wait  till  his  wet  clothes 
get  dry  before  venturin'  forth  an'  spreadin'  the  news 
that  the  Maggie's  on  the  beach.  He  doesn't  know 
we're  off,  an'  once  we're  tied  up  at  the  dock  and  we 
hear  Mac's  been  talkin'  we'll  just  spread  the  word  that 
he  was  so  soused  he  jumped  overboard  an'  swum  ashore 
without  waitin'  to  see  if  we  could  back  off.  Lordy,  Gib, 
don't  work  me  to  death.  I'm  that  weary  I  could  flop 
on  this  wet  deck  an'  be  off  to  sleep  in  a  pig's  whisper." 

"I  dunno  but  what  there's  reason  in  what  you  say," 
Mr.  Gibney  agreed.  "Well,  turn  in,  Scraggsy,  but  the 
minute  we  hit  the  dock  you  run  up  town  and  fix  things 
up  with  Bart." 

And  without  further  ado  he  set  the  alarm  clock  for 
seven  o'clock,  kicked  off  his  shoes,  and  climbed  into  his 
berth  with  his  clothes  on. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  crews  of  the  Aphrodite  and  the  Bodega  slept 
late  also,  for  they  were  weary,  and  fortunately, 
no  calls  for  a  tug  came  into  the  office  of  the  Red 
Stack  Company  all  morning.  About  ten  o'clock  Dan 
Hicks  and  Jack  Flaherty  breakfasted  and  about  ten 
thirty  both  met  in  the  office.  Apparently  they  were 
two  souls  with  but  a  single  thought,  for  the  right  hand 
of  each  sought  the  shelf  whereon  reposed  the  blue  vol- 
ume entitled  "  Lloyd's  Register."  Dan  Hicks  reached  it 
first,  carried  it  to  the  counter,  wet  his  tarry  index  finger, 
and  started  turning  the  pages  in  a  vain  search  for  the 
American  steamer  Yankee  Prince.  Presently  he  looked 
up  at  Jack  Flaherty. 

"Flaherty,"  he  said,  "I  think  you're  a  liar." 

"The  same  to  you  and  many  of  them,"  Flaherty  re- 
plied, not  a  whit  abashed.  "You  said  she  was  an  eight 
thousand  ton  tramp." 

"I  never  went  so  far  as  to  say  I'd  been  aboard  her 
on  trial  trip,  though — and  I  did  cut  down  her  tonnage, 
showin'  I  got  the  fragments  of  a  conscience  left,"  Hicks 
defended  himself. 

He  closed  the  book  with  a  sigh  and  placed  it  back  on 
the  shelf,  just  as  the  door  opened  to  admit  no  less  a 
personage  than  Batholomew  McGuffey,  late  chief  en- 
gineer, first  assistant,  second  assistant,  third  assistant, 

45 


46  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

wiper,  oiler,  water-tender,  and  stoker  of  the  S.  S. 
Maggie.  With  a  brief  nod  to  Jack  Flaherty  Mr.  Mc- 
Guffey approached  Dan  Hicks. 

"I  been  lookin'  for  you,  captain,"  he  announced. 
"Say,  I  hear  the  chief  o'  the  Aphrodite's  goin'  to  take  a 
three  months'  lay-off  to  get  shet  of  his  rheumatism. 
Is  that  straight?" 

"I  believe  it  is,  McGuffey." 

"Well,  say,  I'd  like  to  have  a  chance  to  substitoot 
for  him.  You  know  my  capabilities,  Hicks,  an'  if 
it  would  be  agreeable  to  you  to  have  me  for  your 
chief  your  recommendation  would  go  a  long  way  toward 
landin'  me  the  job.  I'd  sure  make  them  engines  be- 
have." 

"What  vessel  have  you  been  on  lately?"  Hicks  de- 
manded cautiously,  for  he  knew  Mr.  McGuffey's  repu- 
tation for  non-reliability  around  pay-day. 

"I  been  with  that  fresh  water  scavenger,  Scraggs,  in 
the  Maggie  for  most  a  year." 

"Did  you  quit  or  did  Scraggs  fire  you? " 

"He  fired  me,"  McGuffey  replied  honestly.  "If 
he  hadn't  I'd  have  quit,  so  it's  a  toss-up.  Comin'  in 
from  Halfmoon  Bay  last  night  we  got  lost  in  the  fog  an' 
piled  up  on  the  beach  just  below  the  Cliff  House " 

"This  is  interesting,"  Jack  Flaherty  murmured. 
"You  say  she  walked  ashore  on  you,  McGuffey?  Well, 
I'll  be  shot!" 

"She  did.  Scraggs  blamed  it  on  me,  Flaherty.  He 
said  I  didn't  obey  the  signals  from  the  bridge,  one  word 
led  to  another,  an*  he  went  dancin'  mad  an'  ordered 
me  off  his  ship.  Well,  it's  his  ship — or  it  was  his  ship, 
for  I'll  bet  a  dollar  she's  ground  to  powder  by  now — so 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  47 

all  I  could  do  was  obey.  I  hopped  overboard  an' 
waded  ashore.  I  suppose  all  my  clothes  an*  things  is 
gone  by  now.  I  left  everything  aboard  an'  had  to 
borrow  this  outfit  from  Scab  Johnny."  He  grinned 
pathetically.  "So  I  guess  you  understand,  Captain 
Hicks,  just  how  bad  I  need  that  job  I  spoke  about  a 
minute  ago." 

"I'll  think  it  over,  Mac,  an'  let  you  know,"  Hicks 
replied  evasively. 

Mr.  McGuffey,  sensing  his  defeat,  retired  forthwith 
to  hide  his  embarrassment  and  distress;  as  the  door 
closed  behind  him,  Hicks  and  Flaherty  faced  each  other. 

"Jack,"  quoth  Dan  Hicks,  "can  two  towboat  men, 
holdin'  down  two  hundred-dollar  jobs  an'  presumed  to 
have  been  out  o'  their  swaddlin'  clothes  for  at  least 
thirty  years,  afford  to  be  laughed  off  the  San  Francisco 
waterfront?" 

"I  know  one  of  them  that  can't,  Dan.  At  the  same 
time,  can  a  rat  like  Phineas  P.  Scraggs  and  a  beachcom- 
ber like  his  mate  Gibney  make  a  pair  of  star-spangled 
monkeys  out  of  said  two  towboat  men  and  get  away 
with  it?" 

"They  did  that  last  night.  Still,  I've  known  mon- 
keys that  would  fight  an'  was  human  enough  to  settle 
a  grudge.  Follow  me,  Jack." 

Together  they  repaired  to  Jackson  Street  bulkhead. 
Sure  enough  there  lay  the  Maggie,  rubbing  her  blistered 
sides  against  the  bulkhead.  Captain  Scraggs  was  no- 
where in  sight,  but  Mr.  Gibney  was  at  the  winch,  swing- 
ing ashore  the  crates  of  vegetables  which  The  Square- 
head and  three  longshoremen  loaded  into  the  cargo  net. 

"We're   outnumbered,"   Jack   Flaherty   whispered. 


48  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"  Let's  wait  until  she's  unloaded  an5  Gibney  an*  Scraggs 
are  aboard  alone." 

They  retired  without  having  attracted  the  attention 
of  Mr.  Gibney,  and  a  few  minutes  later,  Captain  Scraggs 
came  down  the  bulkhead  and  sprang  aboard. 

"Well?"  his  navigating  officer  queried. 

"Couldn't  find  him,"  Scraggs  confessed.  "Scab 
Johnny  says  he  loaned  Mac  a  dry  outfit  an'  the  old  boy 
dug  out  for  breakfast  at  seven  o'clock  an'  ain't  been 
around  since." 

"Did  you  try  the  saloons,  Scraggsy?" 

"I  did.  Likewise  the  cigar  stands  an'  restaurants, 
an'  the  readin'  rooms  of  the  Marine  Engineers'  Associa- 
tion." 

"  Guess  he's  out  hustlin*  a  job,"  Mr.  Gibney  sighed. 
He  was  filled  with  vague  forebodings  of  evil.  "If  you'd 
only  listened  to  my  advice  last  night,  Scraggsy — if  you'd 
only  listened,"  he  mourned. 

"We'll  cross  our  bridges  when  we  come  to  them,  Gib. 
Cheer  up,  my  boy,  cheer  up.  I  got  a  new  engineer. 
He  won't  last,  but  he'll  last  long  enough  for  Mac  to  for- 
get his  grouch  an'  listen  to  reason,"  and  with  this  op- 
timistic remark  Captain  Scraggs  dropped  into  the  en- 
gine room  to  get  up  enough  steam  to  keep  the  winch 
working. 

Promptly  at  twelve  o'clock,  the  longshoremen 
knocked  off  work  for  the  lunch  hour  and  Neils  Halvor- 
sen  drifted  across  the  street  to  cool  his  parched  throat 
with  steam  beer.  While  waiting  for  Scraggs  to  come 
up  out  of  the  engine  room,  and  take  him  to  luncheon, 
Mr.  Gibney  sauntered  aft  and  was  standing  gazing  re- 
flectively upon  a  spot  on  the  Maggie's  stern  where  the 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  49 

hawsers  had  chafed  away  the  paint,  when  suddenly  his 
forebodings  of  evil  returned  to  him  a  thousand  fold 
stronger  than  they  had  been  since  Scraggs's  return  to  the 
little  ship.  He  glanced  up  and  beheld  gazing  down 
upon  him  Captains  Jack  Flaherty  and  Daniel  Hicks. 
Battle  was  imminent  and  the  valiant  Gibney  knew  it; 
wherefore  he  determined  instantly  to  meet  it  like  a  man. 

"Howdy,  men,"  he  saluted  them.  "Glad  to  have 
you  aboard  the  yacht,"  and  he  stepped  backward  to 
give  himself  fighting  room. 

"Here's  where  we  collect  the  towage  bill  on  the  S.  S. 
Yankee  Prince"  Dan  Hicks  informed  him,  and  leaped 
from  the  bulkhead  straight  down  at  Mr.  Gibney.  Jack 
Flaherty  followed.  Mr.  Gibney  welcomed  Captain 
Hicks  with  a  terrific  right  swing,  which  missed;  before 
he  could  guard,  Dan  Hicks  had  planted  left  and  right 
where  they  would  do  the  most  good  and  Mr.  Gibney 
went  into  a  clinch  to  save  himself  further  punishment. 

"  Scraggsy,"  he  bawled,  "  Scraggsy-y-y !  Help !  Mur- 
der! It's  Hicks  and  Flaherty!  Bring  an  ax!" 

He  flung  Dan  Hicks  at  Jack  Flaherty;  as  they  collided 
he  rushed  in  and  dealt  each  of  them  a  powerful  poke. 
However,  Messrs.  Hicks  and  Flaherty  were  sizeable 
persons  and  while,  individually,  they  were  no  match 
for  the  tremendous  Gibney,  nevertheless  what  they 
lacked  in  horsepower  they  made  up  in  pugnacity — and 
the  salt  sea  seldom  breeds  a  craven.  Capt'  'n  Scraggs 
thrust  a  frightened  face  up  through  the  e  gine-room 
hatch,  but  at  sight  of  the  battle  royal  taking  place  on 
the  deck  aft,  his  blood  turned  to  water  and  he  thought 
only  of  escape.  To  climb  up  to  the  bulkhead  without 
being  seen  was  impossible,  however,  so,  not  knowing 


50  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

what  else  to  do,  he  stood  on  the  iron  ladder  and  gazed, 
pop-eyed  with  horror,  at  the  unequal  contest. 

Backward  and  forward  the  tide  of  battle  surged.  For 
nearly  three  minutes  all  Scraggs  saw  was  an  indistinct 
tangle  of  legs  and  arms;  then  suddenly  the  combatants 
disengaged  themselves  and  Scraggs  beheld  Mr.  Gibney 
lying  prone  upon  the  deck  with  a  gory  face  upturned  to 
the  foggy  skies.  When  he  essayed  to  rise  and  continue 
the  contest,  Flaherty  kicked  him  in  the  ribs  and  Hicks 
cursed  them;  so  Mr.  Gibney,  realizing  that  all  was 
over,  beat  the  deck  with  his  hand  in  token  of  surrender. 
Hicks  and  Flaherty  waited  until  the  fallen  gladiator 
had  recovered  sufficient  breath  to  sit  up;  then  they 
pounced  upon  him,  lifted  him  to  the  rail,  and  dropped 
him  overboard.  Captain  Scraggs  shrieked  in  protest  at 
this  added  touch  of  barbarity,  and  Dan  Hicks,  turn- 
ing, beheld  Scraggsy's  white  face  at  the  hatch. 

"You're  next,  Scraggs,"  he  called  cheerfully,  and 
turned  to  peer  over  the  rail.  Mr.  Gibney  had  emerged 
on  the  surface  and  was  swimming  slowly  away  toward 
an  adjacent  float  where  small  boats  landed.  He 
climbed  wearily  up  on  the  float  and  sat  there,  gazing 
across  at  Hicks  and  Flaherty  without  animus,  for  to  his 
way  of  thinking  he  had  gotten  off  lightly,  considering 
the  enormity  of  his  offense.  The  least  he  had  antici- 
pated was  three  months  in  hospital,  and  so  grateful  was 
he  to  Hicks  and  Flaherty  for  their  great  forbearance 
that  he  strangled  a  resolve  to  "lay"  for  Hicks  and 
Flaherty  and  thrash  them  individually — something  he 
was  fully  able  to  do — and  forgot  his  aches  and  pains  in 
a  lively  interest  as  to  the  fate  of  Captain  Scraggs  at 
the  hands  of  the  towboat  men.  He  was  aware  that 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  51 

Captain  Scraggs  had  failed  ignominiously  to  rally  to 
the  Gibney  appeal  to  repel  boarders,  and  in  his  own 
expressive  terminology  he  hoped  that  what  the  enemy 
would  do  to  the  dastard  would  be  "a-plenty." 

The  enemy,  meanwhile,  had  turned  their  attention 
upon  Scraggs,  who  had  dodged  below  like  a  frightened 
rabbit  and  sought  shelter  in  the  shaft  alley.  He  had 
sufficient  presence  of  mind,  as  he  dashed  through  the 
engine  room,  to  snatch  a  large  monkey  wrench  off  the 
tool  rack  on  the  wall,  and,  kneeling  just  inside  the  alley 
entrance  he  turned  at  bay  and  threatened  the  invaders 
with  this  weapon.  Thereupon  Hicks  and  Flaherty 
pelted  him  with  lumps  of  coal,  but  the  sole  result  of  this 
assault  was  to  force  Scraggs  further  back  into  the  shaft 
alley  and  out  of  range. 

The  towboat  men  held  a  council  of  war  and  decided 
to  drown  Scraggs  out.  Dan  Hicks  ran  up  on  deck  and 
returned  dragging  the  deck  fire  hose  behind  him.  He 
thrust  the  brass  nozzle  into  the  shaft  alley  entrance  and 
invited  Scraggs  to  surrender  unconditionally  or  be 
drowned  like  a  kitten.  Scraggs,  knowing  his  own  fire 
hose,  defied  them,  so  Dan  Hicks  started  the  pump  while 
Flaherty  turned  on  the  water.  Instantly  the  hose 
burst  up  on  deck  and  Scraggs's  jeers  of  triumph  filled 
the  engine  room.  The  enemy  was  about  to  draw  lots 
to  see  which  one  of  the  two  should  crawl  into  the  shaft 
alley  and  throw  a  cupful  of  chloride  of  lime  (for  they 
found  a  can  of  this  in  the  engine  room)  in  Captain 
Scraggs's  face,  when  a  shadow  darkened  the  hatch  and 
Mr.  Bartholomew  McGuffey  demanded  belligerently: 
"What's  goin'  on  down  there?  Who  the  devil's  takin' 
liberties  in  my  engine  room?" 


52  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

Dan  Hicks  explained  the  situation  and  the  just  cause 
for  drastic  action  which  they  held  against  the  fugitive 
in  the  shaft  alley.  Mr.  McGuffey  considered  a  few 
moments  and  made  his  decision. 

"If  what  you  say  is  true — an'  I  ain't  in  position  to 
dispute  you,  not  havin'  been  present  when  you  hauled 
the  Maggie  off  the  beach,  I  don't  blame  you  for  feeling 
sore.  What  I  do  blame  you  for,  though,  is  carryin'  the 
war  aboard  the  Maggie.  If  you  wanted  to  whale  Gib 
an'  Scraggsy  you  should  ha'  laid  for  'em  on  the  dock. 
Under  the  circumstances,  you  make  this  a  pers'nal 
affair,  an'  as  a  member  o'  the  crew  o'  the  Maggie  I  got 
to  take  a  hand  an'  defend  my  skipper  agin  youse  two. 
Fact  is,  gentlemen,  I  got  a  date  to  lick  him  first  for  what 
he  done  to  me  last  night.  Howsumever,  that's  a  pri- 
vate grouch.  The  fact  remains  that  you  two  jumped 
my  pal  Bert  Gibney  an'  licked  him  somethin'  scanda- 
lous. Hicks,  I'll  take  you  on  first.  Come  up  out  of 
there,  you  swab,  and  fight.  Flaherty,  you  stay  below 
until  I  send  for  you;  if  you  try  to  climb  up  an'  horn  in 
on  my  fight  with  Hicks,  Gibney'll  brain  you." 

A  faint  cheer  came  from  the  shaft  alley.  "Good  old 
Mac.  At-a-boy!" 

"You're  on,  McGuffey.  Nobody  ever  had  to  beg 
me  to  fight  him,"  Dan  Hicks  replied  cordially,  and 
climbed  to  the  deck.  To  his  great  surprise,  Mr.  Mc- 
Guffey winked  at  him  and  drew  him  off  to  the  stern  of 
the  Maggie. 

"There'll  be  no  fight,"  he  declared,  "although  we'll 
thud  around  on  deck  an'  yell  a  couple  o'  times  to  make 
Scraggs  think  we're  goin'  to  it.  He  figgers  that  by  the 
time  I've  fought  you  an'  Flaherty  I  won't  be  fit  for  com- 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  53 

bat  with  him,  even  if  I  lick  you  both;  he's  got  it  all  fig- 
gered  out  that  I'll  wait  a  couple  o'  days  before  tacklin' 
him,  an'  he  thinks  my  temper'll  cool  by  that  time  an' 
he  can  argy  me  out  o'  my  revenge.  Savey  ?  " 

"I  twig." 

Mr.  Gibney  had  returned  to  the  Maggie  by  this  time 
and  he  now  took  his  station  at  the  engine-room  hatch 
and  growled  at  Flaherty  and  abused  him.  "Keep  up 
your  courage,  Scraggsy,"  he  called,  as  Hicks  and  Mc- 
Guffey  pranced  around  the  deck  in  simulated  combat. 
"Mac's  whalin'  the  whey  out  o'  Hicks  an'  Hicks 
couldn't  touch  him  with  a  buggy  whip." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  three  minutes  of  horse-play, 
Mr.  McGuffey  came  to  the  hatch  again.  "  Up  with  you, 
Flaherty,"  he  called  loud  enough  for  Captain  Scraggs 
to  hear,  "up  with  you  before  I  go  down  after  you." 

Flaherty  was  about  to  possess  himself  of  a  hatchet 
when  the  face  of  his  confrere,  Dan  Hicks,  appeared  over 
McGuffey's  shoulder  and  grinned  knowingly  at  him. 
Immediately,  Flaherty  hurled  defiance  at  his  enemies 
and  came  up  on  deck,  and  once  more  to  Captain  Scraggs 
came  the  dull  sounds  of  apparent  conflict  overhead. 

Suddenly  a  cheer  broke  from  Mr.  Gibney.  "All  off 
an'  gone  to  Coopertown,  Scraggsy,"  he  shouted.  "Come 
up  an'  take  a  look  at  the  fallen." 

Out  of  the  shaft  alley  came  Scraggs  with  a  rush, 
tossing  his  wrench  aside  the  better  to  climb  the  ladder. 
He  was  half  way  up  when  Mr.  Gibney  reached  down  a 
great  hand,  grasped  him  by  the  collar,  and  whisked  him 
out  on  deck  with  a  single  jerk.  Here,  to  his  horror,  he 
found  himself  confronted  by  a  singularly  scathless  trio 
who  grinned  triumphantly  at  him. 


54  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Seein'  is  believin',  Scraggs,"  Dan  Hicks  informed 
him.  "That's  a  lesson  you  taught  me  an'  Flaherty 
last  night,  but  evidently  you  don't  profit  by  experience. 
You're  too  miserable  to  beat  up,  but  just  to  show  you 
it  ain't  possible  for  a  dirty  bay  pirate  like  you  to  skin 
the  likes  o'  me  an'  Flaherty  we  purpose  hangin'  the  seat 
o*  your  pants  up  around  your  coat  collar.  Face  him 
about,  Gibney." 

Jack  Flaherty  raised  his  voice  in  song: 

Glorious!     Glorious! 
One  kick  a  piece  for  the  four  of  us! 

With  a  quick  twist,  Mr.  Gibney  presented  Captain 
Scraggs  for  his  penance;  Flaherty  and  McGuffey 
followed  Dan  Hicks  promptly  and  Captain  Scraggs 
screamed  at  every  kick.  And  now  came  Mr.  Gibney's 
turn.  "For  failin'  to  stand  up  like  a  man,  Scraggsy, 
an*  battle  Hicks  an'  Flaherty,"  he  informed  the  culprit, 
and  tossed  him  over  to  McGuffey  to  be  held  in  position 
for  him. 

"Don't,  Gib.  Please  don't,"  Scraggs  wailed.  "It 
ain't  comin'  to  me  from  you.  I  never  heard  you  callin' 
a-tall.  Honest,  I  never,  Gib.  Have  mercy,  Adelbert. 
You  saved  the  Maggie  last  night  an'  a  quarter  interest 
in  her  is  yours — if  you  don't  kick  me! " 

Mr.  Gibney  paused,  foot  in  mid-air;  surveyed  the 
Maggie  from  stem  to  stern,  hesitated,  licked  his  lower 
lip,  and  glanced  at  the  common  enemy.  For  an  instant 
it  came  into  his  mind  to  call  upon  the  valiant  and  able 
McGuffey  to  support  him  in  a  fierce  counter  attack 
upon  Hicks  and  Flaherty.  Only  for  an  instant,  how- 
ever; then  his  sense  of  fair  play  conquered. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  55 

"No,  Scraggsy,"  lie  replied  sadly.  "She  ain't  worth 
it,  an'  your  duplicity  can't  be  overlooked.  If  there's 
anything  I  hate  it's  duplicity.  Here  goes,  Scraggsy— 
and  get  yourself  a  new  navigatin'  officer." 

Scraggs  twisted  and  flinched  instantly,  and  Mr. 
Gibney's  great  boot  missed  the  mark.  "Ah,"  he 
breathed,  "  I'll  give  you  an  extra  for  that." 

"Don't!  Please  don't,"  Scraggs  howled.  "Lay 
off 'n  me  an'  I'll  put  in  a  new  boiler  an'  have  the  compass 
adjusted." 

The  words  were  no  sooner  out  of  his  mouth  than  Mr. 
McGuffey  swung  him  clear  of  Mr.  Gibney's  wrath. 
"Swear  it,"  he  hissed.  "Raise  your  right  hand  an* 
swear  it — an'  I'll  protect  you  from  Gib." 

Captain  Scraggs  raised  a  trembling  right  hand  and 
swore  it.  "I'll  get  a  new  fire  hose  an'  fire  buckets; 
I'll  fix  the  ash  hoist  and  run  the  bedbugs  an'  cock- 
roaches out  of  her,"  he  added. 

"You  hear  that,  Gib?"  McGuffey  pleaded.  "Have 
a  heart." 

"Not  unless  he  gives  her  a  coat  of  paint  an'  quits 
bickerin'  about  the  overtime,  Bart." 

"I  promise,"  Scraggs  answered  him.  "Pervided," 
he  added,  "you  an'  dear  oF  Mac  promises  to  stick  by 
the  ship." 

"It's  a  whack,"  yelled  McGuffey  joyfully,  and  whirl- 
ing, struck  Dan  Hicks  a  mighty  blow  on  the  jaw.  "Off 
our  ship,  you  hoodlums."  He  favoured  Jack  Flaherty 
with  a  hearty  thump  and  swung  again  on  Dan  Hicks. 
"At  'em,  Scraggsy.  Here's  where  you  prove  to  Gib 
whether  you're  a  man — thump — or  a  mouse — thump — 
or  a — thump,  thump — bob  tailed — thump — rat." 


56  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

Dan  Hicks  had  been  upset,  and  as  he  sprawled  on  his 
back  on  deck,  he  appeared  to  Captain  Scraggs  to  offer 
at  least  an  even  chance  for  victory.  So  Scraggs,  mus- 
tering his  courage,  flew  at  poor  Hicks  tooth  and  toenail. 
His  best  was  not  much  but  it  served  to  keep  Dan  Hicks 
off  Mr.  McGuffey  while  the  latter  was  disposing  of 
Jack  Flaherty,  which  he  did,  via  the  rail,  even  as  the 
towboat  men  had  disposed  of  Mr.  Gibney.  Dan  Hicks 
followed  Flaherty,  and  the  crew  of  the  Maggie  crowded 
the  rail  as  the  enemy  swam  to  the  float,  crawled  up 
on  it  and  departed,  vowing  vengeance. 

"All's  well  that  ends  well,  gentlemen,"  Mr.  McGuffey 
announced.  "  Scraggsy 's  goin'  to  buy  a  drink  an'  the 
past  is  buried  an'  forgotten.  Didn't  old  Scraggsy  put 
up  a  fight,  Gib?" 

"No,  but  he  tried  to,  Mac.  I'll  tell  the  world  he 
did,"  and  he  thrust  out  the  hand  of  forgiveness  to 
Scraggsy,  who,  realizing  he  had  come  very  handsomely 
out  of  an  unlovely  situation,  clasped  the  hands  of  Mr. 
Gibney  and  McGuffey  and  burst  into  tears.  While  Mr. 
McGuffey  thumped  him  between  the  shoulder  blades 
and  cursed  him  affectionately,  Mr.  Gibney  retired  to 
change  into  dry  garments;  when  he  reappeared  the  trio 
went  ashore  for  the  promised  grog  and  a  luncheon  at 
the  skipper's  expense. 


CHAPTER  IX 

A  WEEK  had  elapsed  and  nothing  of  an  eventful 
nature  had  transpired  to  disturb  the  routine 
of  life  aboard  the  Maggie,  until  Bartholomew 
McGuffey,  having  heard  certain  waterfront  whispers, 
considered  it  the  part  of  prudence  to  lay  his  informa- 
tion before  Scraggs  and  Mr.  Gibney. 

"Look  here,  Scraggs,"  he  began  briskly.  "It's  all 
fine  an'  dandy  to  promise  me  a  new  boiler,  but  when  do 
I  git  it?" 

"Why,  jes'  as  soon  as  we  can  get  this  glut  o'  freight 
behind  us,  Bart,  my  boy.  The  way  it's  pilin'  up  on 
us  now,  what  with  this  bein'  the  height  o'  the  busy  sea- 
son an'  all,  it  stands  to  reason  we  got  to  wait  a  while  for 
dull  times  before  layin'  the  Maggie  up." 

"What's  the  matter  with  orderin'  the  new  boiler 
now  so's  to  have  it  ready  to  chuck  into  her  over  the 
week-end,"  McGuffey  suggested.  "There  needn't  be 
no  great  delay." 

"As  owner  o'  the  Maggie"  Scraggs  reminded  him 
with  just  a  touch  of  asperity,  "  you've  got  to  leave  these 
details  to  me.  You've  managed  with  the  old  boiler 
this  long,  so  it  'pears  to  me  you  might  be  patient  an' 
bear  with  it  a  mite  longer,  Bart." 

"Oh,  I  ain't  tryin'  to  be  disagreeable,  Scraggs,  only 
it  sort  o'  worries  me  to  have  to  go  along  without  bein' 
able  to  use  our  whistle.  We  got  a  reputation  for  joggin' 

57 


58  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

right  along,  mindin'  our  business  an*  never  replyin'  to 
them  vessels  that  whistle  us  they're  goin'  to  pass  to 
port  or  starboard,  as  the  case  may  be.  Of  course  when 
they  whistle,  we  know  what  they're  goin'  to  do,  but 
the  trouble  is  they  don't  know  what  we're  goin'  to  do. 
Dan  Hicks  an'  Jack  Flaherty's  been  makin'  a  quiet 
brag  that  one  o'  these  days  or  nights  they'll  take  ad- 
vantage o'  this  well-known  peculiarity  of  ourn  to  collide 
with  the  Maggie  an'  sink  us,  and  in  that  case  we 
wouldn't  have  no  defense  an'  no  come-back  in  a  court 
of  law.  Me,  I  don't  feel  like  drownin'  in  that  engine 
room  or  gettin'  cut  in  half  by  the  bow  o'  the  Bodega 
or  the  Aphrodite.  Consequently,  you'd  better  ship 
that  new  boiler  you  promised  me  an'  save  funeral  ex- 
penses. We  just  naturally  got  to  commence  whistlin', 
Scraggsy." 

"We'll  commence  it  when  business  slacks  up," 
Scraggs  decided  with  finality. 

Mr.  Gibney  who,  up  to  this  moment,  had  said  noth- 
ing, now  fixed  Captain  Scraggs  with  a  piercing  glance 
and  threatened  him  with  an  index  finger  across  the 
cabin  table.  "We  don't  have  to  wait  for  the  slack 
season  to  have  that  there  compass  adjusted  an'  paint 
the  topsides  o'  the  Maggie"  he  reminded  Scraggs. 
"As  for  her  upper  works,  I'll  paint  them  myself  on  Sun- 
days, if  you'll  dig  up  the  paint.  How  about  that 
program?" 

"We'll  do  it  all  at  once  when  we  lay  up  to  install  the 
boiler,"  Scraggs  protested.  He  glanced  at  his  watch. 
"Sufferin'  sailor!"  he  cried  in  simulated  distress. 
"Here  it's  one  o'clock  an'  I  ain't  collected  a  dollar  o'  the 
freight  money  from  the  last  voyage.  I  must  beat  it." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  59 

When  Captain  Scraggs  had  "beaten  it,"  Gibney  and 
McGuffey  exchanged  expressive  glances.  "He's  run- 
nin'  out  on  us,"  McGuffey  complained. 

"Even  so,  Bart,  even  so.  Therefore,  the  thing  for  us 
to  do  is  to  run  out  on  him.  In  other  words,  we'll  work 
a  month,  save  our  money,  an'  then,  without  a  word  o' 
complaint  or  argyment,  we'll  walk  out." 

"Oh,  I  ain't  exactly  broke,  Gib.  I  got  eighty-five 
dollars." 

"Then,"  quoth  Gibney  decisively,  "we'll  go  on  strike 
to-night.  Scraggsy'll  be  stuck  in  port  a  week  before  he 
can  get  another  engineer  an'  another  navigatin'  officer, 
me  an'  you  bein'  the  only  two  natural-born  fools  in 
San  Francisco  an'  ports  adjacent,  an'  before  three  days 
have  passed  he'll  be  huntin'  us  up  to  compromise." 

"I  don't  want  no  compromise.  What  I  want  is  a 
new  boiler." 

"You'll  git  it.  We'll  make  him  order  the  paint  an' 
the  boiler  an'  pay  for  both  in  advance  before  we'll  agree 
to  go  back  to  work." 

The  engineer  nodded  his  approval  and  after  sealing 
their  pact  with  a  hearty  handshake,  they  turned  to  and 
commenced  discharging  the  Maggie.  When  Captain 
Scraggs  returned  to  the  little  steamer  shortly  after  five 
o'clock,  to  his  great  amazement,  he  discovered  Mr. 
Gibney  and  McGuffey  dressed  in  their  other  suits — 
including  celluloid  collars  and  cuffs. 

"The  cargo's  out,  Scraggsy,  my  son,  the  decks  has 
been  washed  down  an'  everything  in  my  department  is 
shipshape."  Thus  Mr.  Gibney. 

"Likewise  in  mine,"  McGuffey  added. 

" Consequently,"    Mr.    Gibney    concluded,    "we're 


60  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

quittin*  the  Maggie  an'  if  it's  all  the  same  to  you  we'll 
have  our  time." 

"My  dear  Gib.  Why,  whatever's  come  over  you 
two  boys?" 

"Stow  your  chatter,  Scraggs.  Shell  out  the  cash. 
The  only  explanation  we'll  make  is  that  a  burned  child 
dreads  the  fire.  You've  fooled  us  once  in  the  matter 
o'  that  new  boiler  an'  the  paintin',  an'  we're  not  goin' 
to  give  you  a  second  chance.  Come  through — or  take 
the  consequences.  We'll  sail  no  more  with  a  liar  an' 
a  fraud." 

"Them's  hard  words,  Mr.  Gibney." 

"  The  truth  is  allers  bitter,"  McGuffey  opined. 

Captain  Scraggs  paused  to  consider  the  serious  pre- 
dicament which  confronted  him.  It  was  Saturday 
night.  He  knew  Mr.  McGuffey  to  be  the  possessor 
of  more  money  than  usual  and  if  he  could  assure  himself 
that  this  reserve  should  be  dissipated  before  Monday 
morning  he  was  aware,  from  experience,  that  the  strike 
would  be  broken  by  Tuesday  at  the  latest.  And  he 
could  afford  that  delay.  He  resolved,  therefore,  on 
diplomacy. 

"Well,  I'm  sorry,"  he  answered  with  every  appear- 
ance of  contrition.  "You  fellers  got  me  in  the  nine- 
hole  an'  I  can't  help  myself.  At  the  same  time,  I 
appreciate  fully  your  p'int  of  view,  while  realizin'  that 
I  can't  convince  you  o'  mine.  So  we  won't  have  no 
hard  feelin's  at  partin',  boys,  an'  to  show  you  I'm  a 
sport  I'll  treat  to  a  French  dinner  an'  a  motion  picture 
show  afterward.  Further,  I  shall  regard  a  refusal  of 
said  invite  as  a  pers'nal  affront." 

"By  golly,  you're  gittin'  sporty  in  your  old  age,"  the 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  61 

engineer  declared.     "I'll  go  you,  Scraggs.     How  about 
you,  Gib?" 

"I  accept  with  thanks,  Scraggsy,  old  tarpot.  Per- 
sonally, I  maintain  that  seamen  should  leave  their 
troubles  aboard  ship." 

"That's  the  sperrit  I  appreciate,  boys.  Come  to  the 
cabin  an'  I'll  pay  you  off.  ,  Then  wait  a  coupler  minutes 
till  I  shift  into  my  glad  rags  an'  away  we'll  go,  like 
Paddy  Ford's  goat — on  our  own  hook." 

"Old  Scraggsy's  as  cunnin'  as  a  pet  fox,  ain't  he?" 
the  new  navigating  officer  whispered,  as  Scraggs  de- 
parted for  his  stateroom  to  change  into  his  other  suit. 
"He's  goin'  to  blow  himself  on  us  to-night,  thinkin'  to 
soften  our  hard  resolution.  We'll  fool  him.  Take  all 
he  gives  us,  but  stand  pat,  Bart." 

Bart  nodded.  His  was  one  of  those  sturdy  natures 
that  could  always  be  depended  upon  to  play  the  game, 
win,  lose,  or  draw. 

As  a  preliminary  move,  Captain  Scraggs  declared  in 
favour  of  a  couple  of  cocktails  to  whet  their  appetites 
for  the  French  dinner,  and  accordingly  the  trio  re- 
paired to  an  adjacent  saloon  and  tucked  three  each 
under  their  belts — all  at  Captain  Scraggs's  expense. 
When  he  proposed  a  fourth,  Mr.  Gibney's  perfect 
sportsmanship  caused  him  to  protest,  and  reluctantly 
Captain  Scraggs  permitted  Gibney  to  buy.  Scraggs 
decided  to  have  a  cigar,  however,  instead  of  another 
Martini.  The  ethics  of  the  situation  then  indicated 
that  McGuffey  should  "set  'em  up,"  which  he  did  over 
Captain  Scraggs's  protest — and  again  the  wary  Scraggs 
called  for  a  cigar,  alleging  as  an  excuse  for  his  weakness 
that  for  years  three  cocktails  before  dinner  had  been 


62  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

his  absolute  limit.  A  fourth  cocktail  on  an  empty  stom- 
ach, he  declared,  would  kill  the  evening  for  him. 

The  fourth  cocktail  having  been  disposed  of,  the  bar- 
keeper, sensing  further  profit  did  he  but  play  his  part 
judiciously,  insisted  that  his  customers  have  a  drink  on 
the  house.  Captain  Scraggs  immediately  protested 
that  their  party  was  degenerating  into  an  endurance 
contest — and  called  for  another  cigar.  He  now  had 
three  cigars,  so  he  gave  one  each  to  his  victims  and  for- 
cibly dragged  them  away  from  the  bar  and  up  to  a  Pine 
Street  French  restaurant,  the  proprietor  of  which  was 
an  Italian.  Captain  Scraggs  was  for  walking  the  six 
blocks  to  this  restaurant,  but  Mr.  McGuffey  had  ac- 
quired, on  six  cocktails,  what  is  colloquially  described 
as  "a  start,"  and  insisted  upon  chartering  a  taxicab. 

But  why  descend  to  sordid  and  vulgar  details? 
Suffice  that  when  the  artful  Scraggs,  pretending  to 
be  overcome  by  his  potations  and  very  ill  into  the 
bargain,  begged  to  be  delivered  back  aboard  the  Maggie, 
Messrs.  McGuffey  and  Gibney  loaded  him  into  a  taxi- 
cab  and  sent  him  there,  while  they  continued  their 
search  for  excitement.  Where  and  how  they  found  it 
requires  no  elucidation  here;  it  is  sufficient  to  state  that 
it  was  expensive,  for  when  men  of  the  Gibney  and  Mc- 
Guffey type  have  once  gotten  a  fair  start  naught  but 
financial  dissolution  can  stop  them. 

On  Monday  morning,  Messrs.  Gibney  and  McGuffey 
awoke  in  Scab  Johnny's  boarding  house.  Mr.  Gibney 
awoke  first,  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  his  stomach 
hammered  at  the  door  of  his  soul  and  bade  him  be  up 
and  doing.  While  his  head  ached  slightly  from  the 
fiery  usquebaugh  of  the  Bowhead  saloon,  he  craved  a 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  63 

return  to  a  solid  diet,  so  for  several  minutes  he  lay  su- 
pine, conjuring  in  his  agile  brain  ways  and  means  of 
supplying  this  need  in  the  absence  of  ready  cash.  "I'll 
have  to  hock  my  sextant,"  was  the  conclusion  at  which 
he  presently  arrived.  Then  he  commenced  to  heave 
and  surge  until  presently  he  found  himself  clear  of  the 
blankets  and  seated  in  his  underclothes  on  the  side  of 
the  bed.  Here,  he  indulged  in  a  series  of  scratchings 
and  yawnings,  after  which  he  disposed  at  a  gulp  of 
most  of  the  water  designed  for  his  matutinal  ablutions. 
Ten  minutes  later  he  took  his  sextant  under  his  arm 
and  departed  for  a  pawnship  in  lower  Market  Street. 
From  the  pawnshop  he  returned  to  Scab  Johnny's 
with  eight  dollars  in  his  pocket,  routed  out  the  contrite 
McGuffey,  and  carried  the  latter  off  to  ham  and  eggs. 

They  felt  better  after  breakfast  and  for  the  space  of 
an  hour  lolled  at  the  table,  discussing  their  adventures 
of  the  past  forty-eight  hours.  "Well,  there's  one  thing 
certain,"  McGuffey  concluded,  "an*  that  thing  is  sure 
a  cinch.  Our  strike  has  petered  out.  I'm  not  busted, 
but  I  ain't  heeled  to  continue  on  strike  very  long,  so 
let's  mosey  along  down  to  the  Maggie's  dock  an*  see 
how  Scraggsy's  gettin'  along.  If  he  has  our  places  filled 
we  won't  say  nothin',  but  if  he  hasn't  got  'em  filled  he'll 
say  somethin'." 

"That's  logic,  Bart,"  Gibney  agreed,  and  forthwith 
they  set  out  to  interview  Captain  Scraggs.  The  owner 
of  the  Maggie  greeted  them  cheerily,  but  after  discuss- 
ing generalities  for  half  an  hour,  Scraggs  failed  to 
make  overtures,  whereupon  Mr.  Gibney  announced 
casually  that  he  guessed  he  and  Mac  would  be  on  their 
way.  "Same  here,  boys,"  Captain  Scraggs  piped 


64  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

breezily.  "I  got  a  new  mate  an'  a  new  engineer  comin' 
aboard  at  ten  o'clock  an'  we  sail  at  twelve." 

"Well,  we'll  see  you  occasionally,"  Mr.  Gibney  said 
at  parting. 

"Oh,  sure.  Don't  be  strangers.  You're  always  wel- 
come aboard  the  old  Maggie"  came  the  careless  re- 
joinder. 

Somewhat  crestfallen,  the  striking  pair  repaired  to  the 
Bowhead  saloon  to  discuss  the  situation  over  a  glass  of 
beer.  However,  Mr.  Gibney's  spirits  never  dropped 
below  zero  while  he  had  one  nickel  to  rub  against  an- 
other; hence  such  slight  depression  as  he  felt  was  due 
to  a  feeling  that  Captain  Scraggs  had  basely  swindled 
him  and  McGuffey.  He  was  disappointed  in  Scraggs 
and  said  as  much.  "However,  Bart,"  he  concluded, 
"we'll  never  say  'die'  while  our  money  holds  out,  and 
in  the  meantime  our  luck  may  have  changed.  Let's 
scatter  around  and  try  to  locate  some  kind  of  a  job; 
then-  when  them  new  employees  o'  Scraggsy  quit  or 
get  fired — which'll  be  after  about  two  voyages — an' 
the  old  man  comes  round  holdin'  out  the  olive  branch 
o'  peace,  we'll  give  him  the  horselaugh." 

Three  days  of  diligent  search  failed  to  uncover  the 
coveted  job  for  either,  however,  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  fourth  day  Mr.  Gibney  announced  that  it 
would  be  necessary  to  "raise  the  wind,"  if  the  pair  would 
breakfast.  "It'll  probably  be  a  late  breakfast,"  he 
added. 

"How're  we  goin'  to  git  it,  Gib?" 

"  We  must  test  our  credit,  Mac.  You  go  down  to  the 
rooms  o'  the  Marine  Engineers'  Association  and  kick 
somebody's  eye  out  for  five  dollars.  I'd  get  out  an'  do 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  65 

some  rustlin'  myself,  but  I  ain't  got  no  credit.  When 
a  man  that's  been  a  real  sailor  sinks  as  low  as  I've  sunk 
— from  clipper  ships  to  mate  on  a  rotten  little  bumboat 
— people  don't  respect  him  none.  But  it's  different 
with  a  marine  engineer.  You  might  be  first  assistant 
on  a  P.  M.  boat  to-day  an'  second  assistant  on  a  bay  tug 
to-morrow  but  nothin's  thought  of  it." 

"What're  we  goin'  to  do  with  the  five  dollars?'* 

"Well,  we  might  invest  it  in  a  lottery  ticket  an'  pray 
for  the  capital  prize — but  we  won't.  Ain't  it  dawned 
on  you,  Mac,  that  it's  up  to  you  an'  me  to  find  the 
steamer  Maggie  an'  git  back  to  work  quick  an'  no  back 
talk?  Scraggs  has  new  men  in  our  jobs  an'  these  new 
men  has  got  to  be  got  rid  of,  otherwise  there's  no  tellin' 
how  long  they'll  last.  Naturally,  this  here  riddance 
can  be  accomplished  easier  an'  without  police  interfer- 
ence on  the  dock  at  Half  moon  Bay.  We  got  to  walk 
twenty  miles  to  Half  moon  Bay  to  connect  with  the 
Maggie  an'  the  five  dollars  is  to  keep  us  from  starvin' 
to  death  in  case  we  miss  him  an'  have  to  walk  back  or 
wait  for  the  return  trip  o'  the  Maggie" 

"But  suppose,  after  we've  walked  all  that  distance, 
we  find  Scraggs  won't  take  us  back?  Then  what?" 

"Why,  of  course  he'll  take  us  back,  Bart.  He'll 
be  glad  to  after  we've  finished  with  them  scabs  that's 
took  our  jobs  an'  are  doin'  us  out  of  an  honest  livin'. 
He  won't  be  able  to  work  the  Maggie  back  to  San 
Francisco  alone,  will  he?" 

McGuffey  nodded  his  approbation,  and  set  forth  to 
borrow  the  needful  five  dollars.  Whatever  the  reason, 
he  was  not  successful,  and  when  they  met  again  at 
Scab  Johnny's,  Mr.  Gibney  employed  his  eloquence 


66  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

to  obtain  credit  from  that  cold-hearted  publican,  but 
all  in  vain.  Scab  Johnny  had  been  too  long  operating 
on  a  cash  basis  with  Messrs.  Gibney  and  McGuffey  to 
risk  adding  to  an  old  unpaid  bill. 

They  retired  to  the  sidewalk  to  hold  a  caucus  and 
Mr.  McGuffey  located  a  dime  which  had  dropped  down 
inside  the  lining  of  his  coat.  "That  settles  it,"  Gibney 
declared.  "We've  skipped  two  meals  but  I'll  be 
durned  if  we  skip  another.  We'll  ride  out  to  the  San 
Mateo  county  line  on  the  trolley  with  that  dime  an' 
then  hoof  it  over  the  hills  to  Halfmoon  Bay.  Scraggs 
won't  git  away  from  the  dock  here  until  after  twelve 
o'clock,  so  we  know  he'll  lie  at  Halfmoon  Bay  all  night. 
If  we  start  now  we'll  connect  with  him  in  time  for  sup- 
per. Eh,  Bart?" 

"A  twenty-mile  hike  on  a  tee- totally  empty  stomach, 
with  a  battle  royal  on  our  hands  the  minute  we  arrive, 
weak  an'  destitoote,  ain't  quite  my  idea  o'  enjoyment, 
Gib,  but  I'll  go  you  if  it  kills  me.  Let's  up  hook  an' 
away.  I'm  for  gittin'  back  to  work  an'  usin'  moral 
persuasion  to  git  that  new  boiler." 

They  took  a  hitch  in  their  belts  and  started.  From 
the  point  at  which  they  left  the  trolley  to  their  journey's 
end  was  a  stiff  six-hour  jaunt,  up  hill  and  down  dale,  and 
long  before  the  march  was  half  completed  the  unac- 
customed exercise  had  developed  sundry  galls  and  blis- 
ters on  the  Gibney  heels,  while  the  soles  of  poor  Mc- 
Guffey's  feet  were  so  hot  he  voiced  the  apprehension 
that  they  might  burn  to  a  crisp  at  any  moment  and  drop 
off  by  the  wayside.  Men  less  hardy  and  less  desperate 
would  have  abandoned  the  trip  before  ten  miles  had 
been  covered. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  crew  of  the  Maggie  had  ceased  working  cargo 
for  the  day  and  Captain  Scraggs  was  busy  cook- 
ing supper  in  the  galley  when  the  two  prodigals, 
exhausted,  crippled,  and  repentant,  came  to  the  door 
and  coughed  propitiously,  but  Captain  Scraggs  pre- 
tended not  to  hear,  and  went  on  with  his  task  of  turn- 
ing fried  eggs  with  an  artistic  flip  of  the  frying  pan. 
So  Mr.  Gibney  spoke,  struggling  bravely  to  appear 
nonchalant.  With  his  eyes  on  the  fried  eggs  and  his 
mouth  threatening  to  slaver  at  the  glorious  sight,  he 
said: 

"Hello,  there,  Scraggsy,  old  tarpot.  How  goes  it 
with  the  owner  o'  the  fast  an'  commodious  steamer 
Maggie?  Git  that  consignment  o'  post-holes  aboard 
yet?" 

Mr.  Gibney's  honest  face  beamed  expectantly,  for 
he  was  particularly  partial  to  fried  eggs.  As  for  his 
companion  in  distress,  anything  edible  and  which  would 
serve  to  nullify  the  gnawing  at  his  internal  economy 
would  be  welcome.  Inasmuch  as  Captain  Scraggs  did 
not  readily  reply  to  Mr.  Gibney's  salutation,  McGuf- 
fey  decided  to  be  more  emphatic  and  to  the  point,  albeit 
in  a  joking  way. 

"Hurry  up  with  them  eggs,  Scraggs,"  he  rumbled. 
"Me  an'  Gib's  walked  down  from  the  city  an'  we're 
hungry.  Jawn  D.  Rockerfeller'd  give  a  million  dollars 

67 


68  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

for  my  appetite.  Fry  mine  hard,  Scraggsy.  I  want 
somethin'  solid." 

Scraggs  looked  up  and  his  cold  green  eyes  were  agleam 
with  malice  and  triumph  as  they  rested  on  the  unhappy 
pair.  However,  he  smiled — a  smile  reminiscent  of  a 
cat  that  has  just  eaten  a  canary — and  cold  chills  ran 
down  the  backs  of  the  exhausted  travellers.  "Hello, 
boys,"  he  piped.  He  turned  from  them  to  toss  a  few 
strips  of  bacon  into  the  grease  with  the  eggs;  then  he 
peered  into  the  coffee  pot  and  set  it  on  the  back  of  the 
galley  range  to  simmer,  before  facing  his  guests  again. 
His  attitude  was  so  significant  that  Mr.  Gibney  queried 
mournfully: 

"Well,  Phineas,  you  old  vegetable  hound,  ain't  you 
glad  to  see  us?" 

"Certainly,  Gib,  certainly.  I'm  deeply  appreciative 
of  the  honour  o'  this  visit,  although  I'm  free  to  say 
we're  hardly  prepared  for  company.  The  stores  is 
kind  o'  low  an'  I  did  just  figger  on  havin'  enough,  by 
skimpin'  a  little,  to  last  me  an'  my  crew  until  we  get 
back  to  San  Francisco.  I'd  hate  to  put  'em  on  short 
rations,  on  account  of  unexpected  company,  be- 
cause it  gives  the  ship  a  bad  name.  On  the  other  hand, 
it's  agin  my  disposition  to  appear  small  over  a  few  fried 
eggs,  while  on  still  another  hand,  I  realize  you  two  got 
to  get  fed."  He  stepped  to  the  door  and  pointed. 
"See  that  little  shack  about  two  points  to  starboard  o' 
the  warehouse?  Well,  there's  a  Dago  livin'  there  an' 
he'll  fix  you  two  boys  up  a  bully  meal  for  fifty  cents 
each." 

"Scraggsy,  ol'  hunks,  if  three-ringed  circuses  was 
sellin'  for  six  bits  a  throw  me  an'  Bart  couldn't  buy  a 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  69 

whisker  from  a  dead  tiger."  The  dreadful  admission 
brought  a  dull  flush  to  Mr.  Gibney's  already  rubicund 
countenance. 

"Shell  out  a  coupler  bucks,  Scraggsy,"  McGuffey 
pleaded.  "Me  an*  Gib's  so  empty  we  rattle  when  we 
walk." 

"I  ain't  got  no  money  to  loan  you  two  that  ups  an5 
leaves  me  in  the  lurch,  without  no  notice,"  Scraggs 
flared  at  them.  "If  you  two  stiffs  ain't  able  to  support 
yourselves  you'd  ought  to  apply  for  admission  to  the 
poorhouse  or  the  Home  For  the  Feeble-minded." 

Mr.  Gibney  smiled  fatly. ,  "Scraggsy!  .You're  kid- 
din'  us." 

"Not  by  forty  fathom,  I  ain't." 

"Phineas,  we  just  got  t'  eat,"  McGuffey  declared 
ominously. 

"Eat  an'  be  dog-goned,"  the  skipper  snarled."  "I 
ain't  a-tryin'  to  prevent  you.  Are  you  two  suckin' 
infants  that  I  got  to  feed  you?  There's  plenty  o'  fresh 
vegetables  out  on  deck.  Green  peas  ain't  to  be  sneezed 
at,  an'  as  for  French  carrots,  science'll  tell  you  there's 
ninety-two  per  cent,  more  nutriment  in  a  carrot 
than- 

Mr.  Gibney  halted  this  dissertation  with  upraised 
hand.  "Scraggs,  it's  about  time  you  found  out  I  ain't 
no  potato  bug,  an'  if  you  think  McGuffey 's  a  coddlin' 
moth  you're  wrong  agin.  Fork  over  them  eggs  an' 
the  coffee  an'  a  coupler  slices  o'  dummy  an'  be  quick 
about  it  or  I'll  bust  your  bob-stay." 

"Get  off  my  ship,  you  murderin'  pirates,"  Scraggs 
screamed. 

"Not  till  we've  et,"  the  practical-minded  engineer  re- 


70  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

torted.  "Even  then  we  won't  get  off.  Me  an*  Gib 
ain't  got  any  feet  left,  Scraggs.  If  we  had  to  walk 
another  step  we'd  be  crippled  for  life.  Fry  my  eggs 
hard,  I  tell  you." 

"This  is  piracy,  men.  It's  robbery  on  the  high  seas, 
an'  I  can  put  you  over  the  road  for  it,"  Scraggs  warned 
them.  "What's  more,  I'll  do  it." 

"The  eggs,  Scraggsy,"  boomed  Mr.  Gibney,  "the 
eggs." 

Half  an  hour  later  as  the  pirates,  replete  with  prov- 
ender, sat  dangling  their  damaged  underpinning  over 
the  stern  railing  where  the  gentle  wavelets  laved  and 
cooled  them,  Captain  Scraggs  accompanied  by  the  new 
navigating  officer,  the  new  engineer,  and  The  Square- 
head, came  aft.  The  cripples  looked  up,  surveyed  their 
successors  in  office,  and  found  the  sight  far  from  reas- 
suring. 

"I've  already  ordered  you  two  tramps  off  n  my  ship," 
Scraggs  began  formally,  "an*  I  hereby,  in  the  presence 
o'  reliable  witnesses,  repeats  the  invitation.  You 
ain't  wanted;  your  room's  preferred  to  your  comp'ny, 
an'  by  stayin'  a  minute  longer,  in  defiance  o'  my  orders, 
you're  layin'  yourselves  liable  to  a  charge  o*  piracy. 
It'd  be  best  for  you  two  boys  to  mosey  along  now  an' 
save  us  all  a  lot  o'  trouble." 

M!r.  Gibney  carefully  laid  his  pipe  aside  and  stood  up. 
He  was  quite  an  imposing  spectacle  in  his  bare  feet, 
with  his  trousers  rolled  up  to  his  great  knees,  there- 
by revealing  his  scarlet  flannel  underdrawers.  With  a 
stifled  groan,  McGuffey  rose  and  stood  beside  his  part- 
ner, and  Mr.  Gibney  spoke: 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  71 

"Scraggs,  be  reasonable.  We  ain't  lookin'  for 
trouble;  not  because  we  don't  relish  it,  for  we  do  where  a 
couple  o'  scabs  is  concerned,  but  for  the  simple  reason 
that  we  ain't  in  the  best  o'  condition  to  receive  it,  al- 
though if  you  force  it  on  us  we'll  do  our  best.  If  you 
chuck  us  off  the  Maggie  an'  force  us  to  walk  back  to 
San  Francisco,  we're  goin'  to  be  reported  as  missin'. 
Honest,  now,  Scraggsy,  old  side-winder,  you  ain't 
goin'  to  maroon  us  here,  alone  with  the  vegetables,  are 
you?" 

"You  done  me  dirt.  You  quit  me  cold.  Git  out. 
Two  can  play  at  a  dirty  game  an'  every  dog  must  have 
his  day.  This  is  my  day,  Gib.  Scat!" 

"Pers'nally,"  McGuffey  announced  quietly,  "I 
prefer  to  die  aboard  the  Maggie,  if  I  have  to.  This 
ain't  movin'  day  with  B.  McGuffey,  Esquire." 

"Them's  my  sentiments,  too,  Scraggsy." 

"Then  defend  yourselves.  Come  on,  lads.  Bear  a 
hand  an'  we'll  bounce  these  muckers  overboard." 
The  Squarehead  hung  back  having  no  intention  of 
waging  war  upon  his  late  comrades,  but  the  engineer 
and  the  new  navigating  officer  stepped  briskly  forward, 
for  they  were  about  to  fight  for  their  jobs.  Mr.  Gib- 
ney  halted  the  advance  by  lifting  both  great  hands  in  a 
deprecatory  manner. 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  Scraggsy,  have  a  heart.  Don't 
force  us  to  murder  you.  If  we're  peaceable,  what's  to 
prevent  you  from  givin'  us  a  passage  back  to  San 
Francisco,  where  we're  known  an'  where  we'll  have  at 
least  a  fightin'  chance  to  git  somethin'  to  eat  occa- 
sionally." 

"You  know  mighty  well  what's  to  prevent  me,  Gib. 


<72  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

I  ain't  got  no  passenger  license,  an'  I'll  be  keel-hauled 
an'  skull-dragged  if  I  fall  for  your  cute  little  game,  my 
son.  I  ain't  layin'  myself  liable  to  a  fine  from  the  In- 
spectors an'  maybe  have  my  ticket  book  took  awav  to 
boot." 

"You  could  risk  your  danged  old  ticket.  It  ain't 
no  use  to  you  on  salt  water  anyhow,"  McGuffey  jeered 
insultingly. 

"We  can  work  our  passage  an'  who's  to  know  the 
difference,  Scraggsy?" 

"You  for  one  an'  McGuffey  for  two.  You'd  have 
the  bulge  on  me  forever  after.  You  could  blackmail  me 
until  I  dassen't  call  my  ship  my  own." 

"Don't  worry,  you  snipe.  Nobody  else  will  ever 
hanker  to  own  her."  Another  insult  from  McGuffey. 
Having  made  up  his  mind  that  a  fight  was  inevitable, 
the  honest  fellow  was  above  pleading  for  mercy. 

"Enough  of  this  gab,"  Mr.  Gibney  roared.  "My 
patience  is  exhausted.  I'm  dog-tired  an'  I'm  goin' 
to  have  peace  if  I  have  to  fight  for  it.  Me  an'  Bart 
stays  aboard  the  steamer  Maggie  until  she  gets  back  to 
Frisco  town  or  until  we're  hove  overboard  in  the  in- 
terim by  the  weight  of  numbers.  An'  if  any  man,  or 
set  o'  male  bipeds  that  calls  theirselves  men,  is  so 
foolish  as  to  try  to  evict  us  from  this  packet,  then  all 
I  got  to  say  is  that  they're  triflin'  with  death."  (Here 
Mr.  Gibney  thrust  out  his  superb  chest  and  thumped 
it  with  his  horny  fists,  after  the  fashion  of  an  enraged 
gorilla.  This  was  sheer  bluff,  however,  for  while  there 
was  not  a  drop  of  craven  blood  in  the  Gibney  veins, 
he  realized  that  his  footwork,  in  the  event  of  battle, 
would  be  sadly  deficient  and  he  hesitated  to  wage  a 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  73 

losing  fight.)  "I  got  my  arms  left,  even  if  my  feet  is 
on  the  fritz,  Scraggs,"  he  continued,  "an*  if  you  start 
anything  I'll  hug  you  an'  your  crew  to  death.  I'm  a 
rip-roarin'  grizzly  bear  once  I'm  started  an'  there's 
such  a  thing  as  drivin'  a  man  to  desperation." 

The  bluff  worked!  Captain  Scraggs  turned  to  his 
retainers  and  with  a  condescending  and  paternal  smile, 
said:  "Boys,  let's  give  the  dumb  fools  their  own  way. 
If  they  insist  upon  takin'  forcible  possession  o'  my  ship 
on  the  high  seas,  there's  only  one  name  for  the  crime — 
an'  that's  piracy,  punishable  by  hangin'  from  the  yard- 
arm.  "We'll  just  let  'em  stay  aboard  an'  turn  'em  over 
to  the  police  when  we  git  back  to  the  city." 

He  started  for  his  cabin  and  the  crew,  vastly  re- 
lieved, followed  him.  The  pirates  once  more  sat  down 
and  permitted  their  hot  feet  to  loll  overboard. 

"It's  cold  down  here  nights,  Gib,"  McGuffey  opined 
presently.  "Where're  we  goin'  to  sleep?" 

"In  our  old  berths,  of  course."  The  success  of  his 
bluff  had  operated  on  Gibney  like  a  tonic.  "Hop 
into  your  shoes,  Bart,  an'  we'll  snake  them  two  scabs 
out  o'  their  berths  in  jig  time." 

"I'm  dodgin'  fights  to-night,  Gib.  Let's  borrow  a 
blanket  or  two  from  The  Squarehead  an'  curl  up  on  deck. 
It'll  be  warm  over  the  engine-room  gratin'." 

Mr.  Gibney  yawned.  "I  guess  you're  right,  Bart. 
While  you're  at  it,  make  Scraggs  come  through  with  a 
blanket  an'  an  overcoat  for  a  pillow.  Run  up  an* 
threaten  him.  He'll  wilt." 

So  McGuffey  staggered  forward.  What  arguments  he 
used  shall  not  be  recorded  here.  Suffice  it,  he  returned 
what  he  went  after. 


CHAPTER  XI 

f  •  ^HE  pirates  were  early  astir;  so  early,  in  fact,  that 
long  before  Captain  Scraggs  and  his  crew  ap- 

JL  peared  on  deck,  Messrs.  Gibney  and  McGuffey 
had  quietly  cooked  breakfast  in  the  galley.  They  ate 
six  eggs  each  and  consumed  the  only  loaf  of  bread 
aboard,  for  which  act  of  vandalism  they  were  rewarded 
hah6  an  hour  later  by  the  sight  of  Captain  Scraggs  danc- 
ing on  a  new  brown  derby. 

"It's  a  wonder  that  bird  wouldn't  get  him  a  soft 
hat  to  do  his  jumpin'  on,"  McGuffey  remarked.  "  He's 
ruined  enough  good  hats  to  have  paid  for  the  new 
boiler.  Yes,  sir,  whenever  ol'  Scraggsy  gets  mad  he 
most  certainly  gets  hoppin'  mad." 

"It'll  soak  into  his  head  after  a  while  that  us  two 
mean  business,  Mac,  an'  he'll  get  sensible  an'  fire  them 
outsiders.  I'm  lookin'  for  him  to  make  peace  before 


noon." 


About  ten  o'clock  that  morning  the  little  vessel  com- 
pleted taking  on  her  cargo,  the  lines  were  cast  off,  and 
the  homeward  voyage  was  begun.  As  she  hauled  away 
from  the  wharf,  Messrs.  Gibney  and  McGuffey  might 
have  been  observed  seated  on  the  stern  bitts  smoking, 
the  picture  of  contentment.  Pirates  under  the  law 
they  might  be,  but  of  this  they  knew  nothing  and  cared 
less.  With  them,  self-preservation  was,  indeed,  the  first 
law  of  human  nature. 

74 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  75 

They  were  still  seated  on  the  stern  bitts  as  the  Mag- 
gie came  abreast  the  Point  Montara  fog  signal  station, 
when  Mr.  Gibney  observed  a  long  telescope  poking 
out  the  side  window  of  the  pilot  house.  "Hello,"  he 
muttered,  "Scraggsy's  seein'  things,"  and  following  the 
direction  in  which  the  telescope  was  pointing  he  made 
out  a  large  bark  standing  in  dangerously  close  to  the 
beach.  In  fact,  the  breakers  were  tumbling  in  a  long 
white  streak  over  the  reefs  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  her.  She  was  lying  stern  on  to  the  beach,  with 
one  anchor  out. 

In  an  instant  all  was  excitement  aboard  the  Mag- 
gie. "  That  looks  like  an  elegant  little  pick-up.  She's 
plumb  deserted,"  Scraggs  shouted  to  his  navigating 
officer.  "I  don't  see  any  distress  signals  flyin*  an* 
yet  she's  got  an  anchor  out  while  her  canvas  is  hangin' 


so-so." 


"If  she  had  any  hands  aboard,  you'd  think  they'd 
have  sense  enough  to  clew  up  her  courses,"  the  mate 
answered. 

At  this  juncture,  Mr.  Gibney  and  McGuffey,  unable 
to  restrain  their  curiosity,  and  forgetful  of  the  fact 
that  they  were  pirates  with  very  sore  feet,  came  running 
over  the  deckload  and  invaded  the  pilot  house.  "  Gimme 
that  glass,  you  sock-eyed  salmon,  you,"  Gibney  or- 
dered Scraggs,  and  tore  the  telescope  from  the  owner's 
hands.  "  There  ain't  enough  real  seamanship  in  the 
crew  o'  this  craft  to  tax  the  mental  make-up  of  a  China- 
man. "Hum — m — m!  American  bark  Chesapeake. 
Starboard  anchor  out;  yards  braced  a-box;  royals  an' to'- 
gallan'-s'ls  clewed  up;  courses  hangin'  in  the  bunt- 
lines  an'  clew  garnets,  Stars-an'-Stripes  upside  down." 


76  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

He  lowered  the  glass  and  roared  at  Neils  Halvorsen, 
who  was  at  the  wheel,  "Starboard  your  helm,  Square- 
head. Don't  be  afraid  of  her.  We're  goin'  over  there 
an'  hook  on  to  her.  I  should  say  she  is  a  pick-up." 

Mr.  Gibney  had  abdicated  as  a  pirate  and  assumed 
command  of  the  S.  S.  Maggie.  With  the  memory  of  a 
scant  breakfast  upon  him,  however,  Captain  Scraggs 
was  still  harsh  and  bitter. 

"  Git  out  o'  my  pilot  house  an'  aft  where  the  police  can 
find  you  when  they  come  lookin'  for  you,"  he  screeched. 
"Don't  you  give  no  orders  to  my  deckhand." 

"Stow  it,  you  ass.  Don't  fly  in  the  face  of  your  own 
interests,  Scraggsy,  you  bandit.  Yonder's  a  prize,  but 
it'll  require  imagination  to  win  it;  consequently  you 
need  Adelbert  P.  Gibney  in  your  business,  if  you're 
contemplatin'  hookin'  on  to  that  bark,  snakin'  her  into 
San  Francisco  Bay,  an'  libelin'  her  for  ten  thousand 
dollars'  salvage.  You  an'  me  an'  Mac  an'  The  Square- 
head here  have  sailed  this  strip  o'  coast  too  long  to- 
gether to  quarrel  over  the  first  good  piece  o'  salvage  we 
ever  run  into.  Come,  Scraggsy.  Be  decent,  forget 
the  past,  an'  let's  dig  in  together." 

"If  I  had  a  gun,"  Scraggs  cried,  "I  do  believe  I'd 
shoot  you.  Git  out  o'my  pilot  house,  I  tell  you,  or  I'll 
stick  a  knife  in  you.  I'll  carve  your  gizzard,  you  black- 
guardin'  pirate." 

Inasmuch  as  Scraggs  really  did  produce  a  knife,  Mr. 
Gibney  backed  prudently  away.  "  You're  mighty  quick 
to  let  bygones  be  bygones  when  you  see  me  with 
a  fortune  in  sight  with  you  wantin'  to  horn  in  on  the 
deal,  ain't  you?"  the  owner  jeered.  "You  must  think 
I'm  a  born  fool." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  77 

,-f  "I  don't  think  it  a-tall.  I  know  it.  You're  worse'n 
a  born  fool.  You're  sufferin'  from  acquired  idiocy, 
which  is  the  mental  state  folks  find  themselves  in  when 
they  refuse  to  learn  by  experience  an'  profit  by  exam- 
ple. I've  always  claimed  you  ain't  got  no  more  imagi- 
nation than  a  chicken,  an'  I'll  prove  it  to  you  right 
now.  Here  you  are,  braggin'  about  how  you're  goin' 
to  salvage  that  bark  but  givin'  no  thought  whatever 
to  the  means  to  be  employed.  How're  you  goin'  to 
pull  her  off?  If  the  Maggie  ever  had  a  towline  aboard 
I  never  seen  it.  Perhaps,  however,  you're  figgerin'  on 
poolin'  all  the  shoestrings  aboard." 

"Every  ship  that  size  has  a  steel  to  win'  cable,  wound 
up  on  a  reel,  nice  an'  handy,"  the  new  navigating  officer 
reminded  Mr.  Gibney.  "I  can  put  the  skiff  out,  get 
the  bark's  line,  haul  it  back,  an'  make  it  fast  on  the  bitts 
you  two  skunks  has  been  occupyin'  instead  of  a  prison 
cell." 

"Hello!  There's  another  county  gone  Democratic. 
Your  old  man  must  ha'  been  to  sea  once  an'  told  you 
about  it.  Them  bitts  won't  hold." 

"I'll  make  the  towline  fast  to  the  mainmast." 

"That'll  hold,  I  admit.  But  has  the  Maggie  got 
power  enough,  what  with  the  load  she's  totin'  now,  to 
tow  that  big  bark  in  to  San  Francisco  Bay?" 

"Oh,  we'll  take  it  easy  an'  get  there  some  time," 
Scraggs  chipped  in. 

"You  bet  you'll  take  it  easy — easier 'n  you  think. 
Before  you  start  towin'  that  bark,  you'll  have  to  clew 
up  her  canvas  a  whole  lot  to  make  the  towin'  easier, 
an'  who's  goin'  to  do  that?  An'  you  got  to  have  a  man 
at  her  wheel." 


78  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Neils  an'  my  mate." 

"If  that  new  mate  dares  to  leave  you  in  command  o* 
the  Maggie,  alone  an  unprotected  on  the  high  seas  an* 
you  with  a  fresh  water  license,  I'll " 

"Then  Neils  an' I'll  do  it." 

"You  don't  know  how.  Besides,  you're  afraid  to  go 
aboard  that  bark.  You  don't  know  what  kind  of  a 
frightful  disease  she  may  have  aboard.  Do  you  know 
a  plague  ship  when  you  see  one?" 

Captain  Scraggs  paled  a  little,  but  the  prospect  of 
the  salvage  heartened  him.  "I  don't  give  a  hoot," 
he  declared.  "I'll  take  a  chance." 

"All  right.  Consider  it  taken.  How're  you  goin' 
to  get  aboard  her?" 

"In  the  skiff." 

"Where's  the  skiff?" 

Captain  Scraggs  glanced  around  wildly,  and  when 
McGuffey  jeered  him,  he  cast  his  hat  upon  the  deck 
and  started  to  leap  upon  it.  The  devilish  Gibney  was 
right.  It  appeared  that  owing  to  a  glut  of  freight  on 
the  landing,  Captain  Scraggs  had  decided,  in  view  of  the 
fine  weather  prevailing,  to  take  an  unusually  large  cargo 
that  trip.  With  this  idea  in  mind,  he  had  piled  freight 
over  every  available  inch  of  deck  space  until  the  cargo 
was  flush  with  the  top  of  the  house.  On  top  of  the 
house,  the  skiff  always  rested,  bottom  up.  Captain 
Scraggs  had  righted  the  skiff,  piled  it  full  of  loose  arti- 
chokes from  half  a  dozen  crates  broken  in  the  cargo  net 
while  loading,  and  then  proceeded  to  pile  more  vegeta- 
bles on  top  of  it  and  around  it  until  the  Maggie's  funnel 
barely  showed  through  the  piled-up  freight,  and  the  lit- 
tle vessel  was  so  top  heavy  she  was  cranky.  In  order  to 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  79 

get  at  the  small  boat,  therefore,  it  would  be  necessary  to 
shift  this  load  off  the  house,  and  the  question  that  now 
confronted  Scraggs  and  his  crew  was  to  find  a  spot  that 
would  accommodate  the  part  of  the  deckload  thus  shifted ! 

When  Captain  Scraggs  had  completed  his  hornpipe 
on  his  hat  he  threw  an  appealing  glance  at  his  new  mate. 
"We'll  jettison  what  freight  proves  an  embarrassment," 
this  astute  individual  advised.  "The  farmers  that 
own  it  will  soak  you  a  couple  o'  hundred  dollars  for  the 
loss,  but  what's  that  with  thousands  in  sight  waitin' 
to  be  picked  up?" 

"Hear  that,  Gib?     Hear  that,  you  swab?" 

"  I  heard  it.     Did  you  hear  that?  " 

"What?" 

"A  nice,  brisk  little  nor' west  trade  wind  that's  only 
blowin'  about  thirty  mile  an  hour.  The  Maggie  ain't 
got  power  enough  to  tow  the  bark  agin  that  wind. 
You'll  haul  her  ahead  two  feet  an',  in  spite  o'  you,  she'll 
slip  back  twenty-five  inches." 

"That  trade  wind  dies  down  after  sunset,"  the  devil- 
ish new  mate  informed  him. 

"Quite  true.  But  in  the  meantime  you're  burning 
coal  loafin'  around  here,  an'  before  you  get  the  bark 
inside  you'll  be  plumb  out  o'  coal,"  Mr.  McGuffey  re- 
minded them.  "I  know  this  old  coffin  like  I  know  the 
back  o'  my  own  hand.  Why,  she  lives  on  coal !  Oh-h-h, 
Scraggsy,  Scraggsy,  poor  old  Scraggy,"  he  keened  in  a 
high  falsetto  voice  and  subsided  on  a  crate  of  celery, 
the  while  he  waved  his  legs  in  the  air  and  affected  to  be 
overcome  by  his  merriment.  Scraggs  turned  the  colour 
of  a  ripe  old  Edam  cheese,  while  Mr.  Gibney  folded  his 
hands  and  looked  idiotic. 


80  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Old  Phineas  P.  Scraggs,  the  salvage  expert!"  Mc- 
Guffey's  falsetto  would  have  maddened  a  sheep.  "  He 
cast  his  bread  upon  the  waters  and  lo,  it  returned  to 
him  after  many  days — and  made  him  sick.  O-h-h-h-h, 
Scraggsy — poor  old  Scraggsy!  If  he  went  divin'  for 
pearls  in  three  feet  o'  water  he'd  bring  up  a  clam  shell. 
Oh,  dear,  I'm  goin'  to  die  o'  this,  Gib." 

"Don't,  Bart.  I'm  goin'  to  have  need  o'  your  well- 
known  ability  to  help  salvage  this  bark.  Scraggs,  you 
old  sinner,  has  it  dawned  on  you  that  what  this  prop- 
osition needs  to  get  it  over  is  a  dash  o'  the  Adelbert 
P.  Gibney  brand  of  imagination?" 

The  new  navigating  officer  drew  Captain  Scraggs 
aside  and  whispered  in  his  ear:  "Make  it  up  with 
these  Smart  Alecks,  Scraggs.  They  got  it  on  us,  but 
if  we  can  send  you  an'  Halvorsen,  McGuffey  and  Gib- 
ney over  to  the  bark,  you  can  get  some  sail  on  her  an' 
what  with  the  wind  helpin'  us  along,  the  Maggie  can 
tow  her  all  right." 

Mr.  Gibney  saw  by  the  hopeful,  even  cunning,  look 
that  leaped  to  Scraggs's  eyes  that  the  problem  was  about 
to  be  solved  without  recourse  to  the  Gibney  imagina- 
tion, so  he  resolved  to  be  alert  and  not  permit  himself 
to  be  caught  out  on  the  end  of  a  limb.  "Well,  Scrag- 
gsy?" he  demanded. 

"I  guess  I  need  you  in  my  business,  Gib.  You're 
right  an'  I'm  always  wrong.  It's  a  fact.  I  ain'tffgot 
no  more  imagination  than  a  chicken.  Hence,  havin'  no 
imagination  o'  my  own  I  ask  you,  as  man  to  man 
an*  appealin'  to  your  generous  instincts  as  an  old 
friend  an'  former  valued  employee,  to  let  bygones 
be  bygones  an'  haul  us  out  o'  the  hole  that  threatens 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  81 

to  make  us  the  laughin'  stock  o'  the  whole  Pacific 
coast." 

"Spoken  like  a  man — I  do  not  think.  Scraggs,  for 
once  in  my  life  I  have  you  where  the  hair  is  short.  You 
find  yourself  up  agin  a  proposition  that  requires  brains, 
you  ain't  got  'em  yourself  an'  at  last  you're  forced  to 
admit  that  Adelbert  P.  Gibney  is  the  man  that  peddles 
'em.  Now,  you  been  doin'  a  lot  o'  hollerin'  about  me 
an'  Bart  bein5  pirates  under  the  law  an'  liable  to  hang- 
in'  an'  imprisonment,  an*  that  kind  o'  guff  don't  go 
nohow.  We're  willin'  to  admit  that  mebbe  we've  been 
a  little  mite  familiar  an'  forward,  bankin'  on  the  natural 
lean  hi'  of  friend  for  friend  that  you  take  it  all  for  the 
joke  it's  intended  to  be,  but  when  you  go  to  carry  in' 
the  joke  too  far,  we  got  to  protect  ourselves.  Scraggsy, 
I'm  willin'  to  dig  in  an'  help  out  in  a  pinch,  but  it's  get- 
tin'  so  me  an'  Mac  can't  trust  you  no  more.  We're  that 
leery  of  you  we  won't  take  your  word  for  nothin',  since 
you  fooled  him  on  the  new  boiler  an'  me  on  the  paint; 
consequently,  we're  off  you  an'  this  salvage  job  unless 
you  give  us  a  clearance,  in  writin',  statin'  that  we  are 
not  an'  never  was  pirates,  that  we're  good,  law-abiding 
citizens  an'  aboard  the  Maggie  as  your  guests,  takin* 
the  trip  at  our  own  risk.  When  you  sign  such  a  paper, 
with  your  crew  for  witnesses,  I'll  demonstrate  how  that 
bark  can  be  salvaged  without  makin'  you  remove  so 
much  as  a  head  o'  cabbage  to  get  at  your  small  boat. 
My  imagination's  better'n  my  reputation,  Scraggsy, 
an'  I  ain't  workin'  it  for  nothin!" 

"  Gib,  my  dear  boy.  You're  the  most  sensitive  man 
I  ever  sailed  with.  Can't  you  take  a  little  joke?  " 

"Sure,  I  can  take  a  little  joke.     It's  the  big  ones  that 


82  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

stick  in  my  craw  an'  stifle  my  friendship.  Gimme  a 
fountain  pen  an'  a  leaf  out  o'  the  log  book  an*  I'll  draw 
up  the  any  davit  for  your  signature." 

Scraggs  complied  precipitately  with  this  request; 
whereupon  Mr.  Gibney  spread  his  great  bulk  over  the 
chart  case  and  with  many  a  twist  and  flip  of  his  tongue 
on  the  up  and  down  strokes,  produced  this  remarkable 
document: 

At  Sea,  Off  Point  Montara,  aboard 

S.  S.  Maggie,  of  San  Francisco. 

June  4,  19—. 

This  is  to  sertify  that  A.  P.  Gibney,  Esq.,  and  Bart  McGuffey, 
Esq.  is  law-abidin*  sitisens  of  the  U.  S.  A.  and  the  constitootion 
thereof,  and  in  no  way  pirates  or  such;  and  be  it  further  resolved  that 
the  said  parties  hereto  are  aboard  said  American  steamer  Maggie 
this  date  on  the  special  invite  of  Phineas  P.  Scraggs,  owner,  as  his 
guests  and  at  their  own  risk. 
Witness  my  hand  and  seal: 

Captain  Scraggs  signed  without  reading  and  the  new 
mate  and  Neils  Halvorsen  appended  their  signatures 
as  witnesses.  Mr.  Gibney  thereupon  folded  this  clear- 
ance paper  into  the  tiniest  possible  compact  ball,  wrap- 
ped it  in  a  piece  of  tinfoil  torn  from  a  package  of  to- 
bacco, to  protect  it  from  his  saliva,  tucked  it  in  his 
cheek  and  with  a  sign  for  McGuffey  to  follow  him, 
started  crawling  over  the  cargo  aft.  By  this  time,  the 
Maggie  was  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  distressed 
bark  and  was  ratching  slowly  backward  and  forward 
before  her. 

"In  all  my  born  days,"  quoth  Mr.  Gibney,  speaking 
a  trifle  thickly  because  of  the  document  in  his  mouth, 
"I  never  got  such  a  wallop  as  Scraggs  handed  me  an' 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  83 

you  last  night.  I  don't  forget  things  like  that  in  a 
hurry.  Now  that  we  got  a  vindication  o'  the  charge  o' 
piracy  agin  us,  I'm  achin'  to  get  shet  of  the  Maggie  an' 
her  crew,  so  if  you'll  kindly  peel  off  all  of  your  clothes 
with  the  exception,  say,  of  your  underdrawers,  we'll 
swim  off  to  that  bark  an'  give  Phineas  P.  Scraggs  an 
exhibition  of  real  sailorizin'  an'  seamanship." 

"What's  the  big  idee?'*  McGuffey  demanded  cau- 
tiously. 

"Why,  we'll  sail  her  in  ourselves — me  an'  you — an'  glom 
all  the  salvage  for  ourselves.  T'ell  with  Scraggs  an* 
the  Maggie  an'  that  new  mate  an'  engineer.  I'm  off'n 
'em  for  life." 

Pop-eyed  with  excitement  and  interest,  B.  McGuffey, 
Esquire,  stood  up  and  with  a  single  twist  shed  his  cap 
and  coat.  His  shirts  followed.  Both  he  and  Gibney 
were  already  minus  their  shoes  and  socks.  To  slip  out 
of  their  faded  dungarees  was  the  work  of  an  instant. 
Strapping  their  belts  around  their  waists  to  hold  up 
their  drawers,  the  worthy  pair  stepped  to  the  rail  of  the 
Maggie. 

"Hey,  there?  Where  you  goin',  Gib?  I  give  you 
that  clearance  paper  on  condition  that  you  was  to  tell 
me  how  to  salvage  that  there  bark  without  havin'  to 
shift  my  cargo  to  get  at  the  small  boat." 

"I'm  just  about  to  tell  you,  Scraggs.  You  don't 
touch  a  thing  aboard  the  Maggie.  You  leave  her  out  of 
it  entirely.  You  just  jump  overboard,  like  me  an'  Mac 
will  in  a  jiffy,  swim  over  to  the  bark,  climb  aboard,  and 
sail  her  in  to  San  Francisco  Bay.  When  you  get  there 
you  drop  anchor  an'  call  it  a  day's  work."  He  grinned 
broadly.  "One  o'  these  bright  days,  Scraggs,  when 


84  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

me  an'  Mac  is  just  wallerin'  in  salvage  money,  drop 
around  to  see  us  an'  we'll  give  you  a  kick  in  the  face. 
Farewell,  you  boobs,"  and  he  dove  overboard. 

"Ta-ta,"  McGuffey  cried  in  his  tantalizing  falsetto 
voice,  and  followed  his  leader  into  the  briny  deep.  As 
they  came  up  and  snorted,  grampus-like,  shaking  the 
water  out  of  their  eyes,  they  glanced  back  at  the  Maggie 
and  observed  that  Captain  Scraggs  was,  for  the  third 
time  that  never-to-be-forgotten  voyage,  jumping  on  his 
hat. 

"If  I  was  that  far  gone  in  a  habit,"  quoth  Mr.  Mc- 
Guffey  as  he  hauled  up  alongside  Mr.  Gibney,  "I'll  be 
switched  if  I  wouldn't  go  bareheaded  an'  save  expenses." 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  tide  was  still  at  the  flood  and  the  two  adven- 
turers made  fast  progress  toward  the  Chesapeake. 
Choosing  a  favourable  opportunity  as  the  vessel 
dipped,  they  grasped  her  martingale,  climbed  up  on  the 
bowsprit,  and  ran  along  the  bowsprit  to  the  to'gallan'- 
fo'castle.     On  the  deck  below  a  dead  man  lay  in  the 
scuppers,  and  such  a  horrible  stench  pervaded  the  ves- 
sel that  McGuffey  was  taken  very  ill  and  was  forced  to 
seek  the  rail. 

"Scurvy  or  somethin',"  Mr.  Gibney  announced 
quite  calmly.  "Here's  the  devil  to  pay.  There  should 
be  chloride  of  lime  in  the  mate's  storeroom — Til  scatter 
some  on  these  poor  devils.  Too  close  to  port  now  to 
chuck  'em  overboard.  Anyhow,  Bart,  me  an'  you  ain't 
doctors,  nor  yet  coroners  or  undertakers,  so  you'd  better 
skip  along  an'  build  a  fire  under  the  donkey  aft.  Mat- 
ches in  the  galley,  of  course." 

"I  wish  she  was  a  schooner,"  McGuffey  complained, 
edging  over  to  the  weather  rail.  "It'd  be  easier  for  us 
two  to  sail  her  then.  I'm  only  a  marine  engineer,  Gib, 
an*  while  I  been  goin'  to  sea  long  enough  to  pick  up 
something  about  handlin'  a  vessel,  still  I'll  get  dizzy 
if  I  go  aloft — an'  I'm  sure  to  get  sick.  You'll  have  to 
do  all  the  high  an'  lofty  tumblin' — an'  how  in  blue 
blazes  us  two're  goin'  to  sail  a  square-rigger  into  port 
is  a  mystery  to  me." 

85 


86  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Leave  the  worryin'  to  your  Uncle  Gib,  Bart.  You 
can  take  the  wheel  an'  steer,  can't  you?  She  has 
enough  sail  practically  set  now  to  make  her  handle  good. 
Look  at  them  courses  hangin'  in  the  buntlines  an'  the 
yards  braced  a-box!  All  we  got  to  do  is  to  square  'em 
around — but  never  mind  explanations.  I'll  show  you 
how  it's  done  after  we  get  steam  up  in  the  donkey.  I'd 
prefer  a  wind  about  two  points  aft  her  beam,  but  never 
let  it  be  said  that  I  turned  up  my  nose  at  a  good  stiff 
nor' west  trade.  I've  sunk  pretty  low,  Mac,  but  I  was 
a  real  sailor  once  an'  I  can  sail  this  old  hooker  wherever 
there's  water  enough  to  float  her.  It's  just  pie — well, 
for  heaven's  sake,  Mac,  what  are  you  standin'  around 
for?  Ain't  I  ordered  you  to  get  steam  up  in  the  don- 
key? Lively,  you  lubber.  After  you've  got  the  fire 
goin',  we'll  place  leadin'  blocks  along  the  deck,  lead  all 
the  runnin*  gear  to  the  winch  head,  an'  stand  by  to 
swing  them  yards  when  I  give  the  word." 

Mr.  Gibney  trotted  down  to  the  main  deck  and 
prowled  aft.  On  the  port  side  of  her  house  he  found 
two  more  dead  men,  and  a  cursory  inspection  of  the 
bodies  told  him  they  had  died  of  scurvy.  He  circled 
the  ship,  came  back  to  the  fo'castle,  entered,  and  found 
four  men  alive  in  their  berths,  but  too  far  gone  to  leave 
them.  "  I'll  have  you  boys  in  the  Marine  Hospital  to- 
night," he  informed  the  poor  creatures,  and  sought  the 
master's  cabin.  Lying  on  his  bed,  fully  dressed,  he 
found  the  skipper  of  the  Chesapeake.  The  man  was 
gaunt  and  emaciated. 

The  freebooter  of  the  green-pea  trade  touched  his  wet 
forelock  respectfully.  "My  name  is  Gibney,  sir,  an* 
I  hold  an  unlimited  license  as  first  mate  of  sail  or  steam. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  87 

I  was  passin'  up  the  coast  on  a  good-for-nothin'  little 
bumboat,  an*  seen  you  in  distress,  so  me  an'  a  friend 
swum  over  to  give  you  the  double  O.  You're  in  a  bad 
way,  sir." 

"Two  hundred  and  eighty-seven  days  from  Ham- 
burg, Mr.  Gibney.  Our  vegetables  gave  out  and  we 
drank  too  much  rain  water  and  ate  too  much  fresh  fish 
down  in  the  Doldrums.  Our  potatoes  all  went  rotten 
before  we  were  out  two  months.  Naturally,  the  ship's 
officers  stuck  it  out  longest,  but  when  we  drifted  in  here 
this  morning,  I  was  the  only  man  aboard  able  to  stand 
up.  I  crawled  up  on  the  to'-gallan'  fo'castle  and  let  go 
the  starboard  anchor.  I'd  had  it  cock-billed  for  three 
weeks.  All  I  had  to  do  was  knock  out  the  stopper." 

While  Mr.  Gibney  questioned  him  and  listened  avidly 
to  the  horrible  tale  of  privation  and  despair,  McGuffey 
appeared  to  report  a  brisk  fire  under  the  donkey  and 
to  promise  steam  in  forty  minutes;  also  that  the  Maggie 
was  hove  to  a  cable  length  distant,  with  her  crew  digging 
under  the  deckload  of  vegetables  for  the  small  boat. 
"Help  yourself  to  a  belayin'  pin,  Bart,  an'  knock  'em 
on  the  heads  if  they  try  to  come  aboard,"  Mr.  Gibney 
ordered  nonchalantly. 

"Do  I  understand  there  is  a  steamer  at  hand,  Mr. 
Gibney?"  the  master  of  the  Chesapeake  queried. 

"  There's  an  excuse  for  one,  sir.  The  little  vegetable 
freighter  Maggie.  She'll  never  be  able  to  tow  you  in, 
because  she  ain't  got  power  enough,  an'  if  she  had  power 
enough  she  ain't  got  coal  enough.  Besides,  Scraggs, 
her  owner,  is  a  rotten  bad  article  an'  before  he'll  put 
a  rope  aboard  you  he'll  tie  you  up  on  a  contract  for 
a  figger  that'd  make  an  angel  weep.  The  way  your  ship 


88  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

lies  an'  everything,  me  an'  McGuffey  can  sail  her  in 
for  you  at  half  the  price." 

"I  can't  risk  my  ship  in  the  hands  of  two  men,"  the 
sick  captain  answered.  "She's  too  valuable  and  so  is 
her  cargo.  K  this  little  steamer  will  tow  me  in  I'll 
gladly  give  her  my  towline  and  let  the  court  settle  the 
bill." 

"Not  by  a  million,"  Mr.  Gibney  protested.  "Beg 
pardon,  sir,  but  you  don't  know  this  here  Scraggs  like 
I  do.  I  couldn't  think  of  lettin'  him  set  foot  on  this 
deck." 

"You  couldn't  think  of  it?  Well,  when  did  you 
take  command  of  my  ship?" 

"You're  flotsam  an'  jetsam,  sir,  an'  practically  in  the 
breakers.  You're  sick,  an,'  for  all  I  know,  delirious, 
so  for  the  sake  o'  protectin'  you,  the  sick  seaman  in  the 
fo'castle  an'  the  owners,  I'm  takin'  command." 

The  master  of  the  Chesapeake  reached  under  his 
pillow  and  produced  a  pistol.  "Out  of  my  cabin  or 
I'll  riddle  you,"  he  barked  feebly. 

Mr.  Gibney  departed  without  a  word  of  protest  and 
proceeded  to  make  his  arrangements,  regardless  of  the 
master's  consent.  As  he  and  McGuffey  busied  them- 
selves, laying  the  leading  blocks  along  the  deck,  they 
glanced  toward  the  Maggie  and  observed  Captain 
Scraggs  hurling  crates  of  vegetables  overboard  in  an 
effort  to  get  at  the  small  boat  quickly.  "He'll  die 
when  the  freight  claims  come  in,"  Mr.  McGuffey 
chortled.  "  Poor  ol'  Scraggsy ! " 

"How're  we  goin'  to  git  that  durned  anchor  up,  Gib?  " 

"We  ain't  goin'  to  get  it  up.  We're  goin'  to  knock 
out  a  shackle  in  the  chain  an'  let  her  go  to  glory." 


THE  GREEN-PEAaPIRATES  89 

"Anchors  is  expensive,  Gib.  Mebbe  they'll  deduct 
the  price  o'  that  anchor  from  our  salvage." 

"By  Jupiter,  you're  talkin',  Mac.  We'll  just  save 
that  anchor,  come  to  think  of  it.'V 

"How?" 

"Just  let  Scraggsy  an'  The  Squarehead  come  aboard 
an'  put  the  ship's  towin'  cable  aboard  the  Maggie. 
The  Maggie'll  just  about  be  able  to  hold  her  while  us 
four  up  with  the  anchor — an9  cockbill  it  agin!" 

"  They  got  the  skiff  overside,"  McGuffey  warned. 

"Throw  over  the  Jacob's  ladder  and  help  'em  aboard, 
Mac.  Nothin'  like  bein'  neighbourly.  This  here's  a 
delicate  situation,  what  with  the  old  man  declinin' 
our  services  in  favour  of  a  tow  by  the  Maggie,  an'  it 
occurs  to  me  if  we  oppose  him  our  standin'  in  court  will 
be  impaired.  I  see  I  got  to  use  my  imagination  agin." 

When  Captain  Scraggs  came  aboard,  Mr.  Gibney 
escorted  him  around  to  the  master's  cabin,  introduced 
him,  and  stood  by  while  they  bargained.  The  sick 
skipper  glowered  at  Mr.  Gibney  when  Scraggs,  with  a 
wealth  of  detail,  explained  their  presence,  but,  for  all 
his  predicament,  he  was  a  shrewd  man  and  instantly 
decided  to  use  Gibney  and  McGuffey  as  a  fulcrum 
wherewith  to  pry  a  very  low  price  out  of  Captain 
Scraggs.  Mr.  Gibney  could  not  forebear  a  grin  as  he 
saw  the  captain's  plan,  and  instantly  he  resolved  to 
further  it,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  to  humiliate  and 
infuriate  Scraggs. 

"The  tow  will  cost  you  five  thousand,  Captain," 
Scraggs  began  pompously. 

"Me  an'  McGuffey'll  sail  you  in  for  four,"  Gibney 
declared. 


90  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 


"Three  thousand,"  snarled  Scraggs. 

"Sailin's  cheap  as  dirt  at  two  thousand.  As  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  Scraggsy,  me  an'  Mac'll  sail  her  in  for  noth- 
in'  just  to  skin  you  out  o'  the  salvage." 

"Two  thousand  dollars  is  my  lowest  figure,"  Scraggs 
declared.  "Take  it  or  leave  it,  Captain.  Under  the 
circumstances,  bargaining  is  useless.  Two  thousand 
is  my  last  bid." 

The  figure  Scraggs  named  was  probably  one  fifth  of 
what  the  master  of  the  Chesapeake  knew  a  court  would 
award;  nevertheless  he  shook  his  head. 

"It's  a  straight  towing  job,  Captain,  and  not  a 
salvage  proposition  at  all.  A  tug  would  tow  me  in 
for  two  hundred  and  fifty,  but  I'll  give  you  five  hun- 
dred." 

Remembering  the  vegetables  he  had  jettisoned, 
Scraggs  knew  he  could  not  afford  to  accept  that  price. 
"I'm  through,"  he  bluffed — and  his  bluff  worked. 

"Taken,  Captain  Scraggs.  Write  out  an  agreement 
and  I'll  sign  it." 

With  the  agreement  in  his  pocket,  Scraggs,  followed 
by  Gibney,  left  the  cabin.  "One  hundred  each  to  you 
an'  Mac  if  you'll  stay  aboard  the  Chesapeake,  steer  her, 
an'  help  the  Maggie  out  with  what  sail  you  can  get  on 
her,"  Scraggs  promised. 

"Take  a  long,  runnin'  jump  at  yourself,  Scraggsy, 
old  sorrowful.  The  best  me  an'  Mac'll  do  is  to  help 
you  cockbill  the  anchor,  an'  that'll  cost  you  ten  bucks 
for  each  of  us — in  advance."  The  artful  fellow 
realized  that  Scraggs  knew  nothing  whatever  about 
a  sailing  ship  and  would  have  to  depend  upon  The 
Squarehead  for  the  information  he  required. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  91 

"All  right.  Here's  your  money,"  Scraggs  replied 
and  handed  Mr.  Gibney  twenty  dollars.  He  and  Neils 
Halvorsen  then  went  forward,  got  out  the  steel  towing 
cable,*  and  fastened  a  light  rope  to  the  end  of  it.  The 
skiff  floated  off  the  ship  at  the  end  of  the  painter,  so 
The  Squarehead  hauled  it  in,  climbed  down  into  the 
skiff,  and  made  the  light  rope  fast  to  a  thwart;  then,  with 
Captain  Scraggs  paying  out  the  hawser,  Neils  bent 
manfully  to  the  oars  and  started  to  tow  the  steel  cable 
back  to  the  Maggie.  Half  way  there,  the  weight  of  the 
cable  dragging  behind  slowed  The  Squarehead  tup  and 
eventually  stopped  him.  Exerting  all  his  strength  he 
pulled  and  pulled,  but  the  sole  result  of  his  efforts  was 
to  wear  himself  out,  seeing  which  the  Maggie9 s  navigat- 
ing officer  set  the  little  steamer  in  toward  the  perspir- 
ing Neils,  while  Captain  Scraggs,  Gibney,  and  McGuf- 
f ey  cheered  lustily. 

Suddenly  an  oar  snapped.  Instantly  Neils  unshipped 
the  remaining  oar,  sprang  to  the  stern,  and  attempted, 
by  sculling,  to  keep  the  skiff's  head  up  to  the  waves. 
But  the  weight  of  the  cable  whirled  the  little  craft 
around,  a  wave  rolled  in  over  her  counter,  and  half- 
filled  her;  the  succeeding  wave  completed  the  job  and 
rolled  the  skiff  over  and  The  Squarehead  was  forced 
to  swim  back  to  the  Chesapeake.  He  climbed  up  the 
Jacob's  ladder  to  face  a  storm  of  abuse  from  Captain 
Scraggs. 

The  cable  was  hauled  back  aboard  with  difficulty, 
owing  to  the  submerged  skiff  at  the  end  of  it.  Captain 
Scraggs  and  The  Squarehead  leaned  over  the  Chesa- 
peake* s  rail  and  tugged  furiously,  when  the  wreck  came 
alongside,  but  all  of  their  strength  was  unequal  to  the 


02  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

task  of  righting  the  little  craft  by  hauling  up  on  the  light 
£Ope  attached  to  her  thwart. 

"For  ten  dollars  more  each  me  an*  Mac'll  tail  on  to 
that  rope  an'  do  our  best  to  right  the  skiff.  After  she's 
righted,  I'll  bail  her  out,  borrow  new  oars  from  this 
here  bark,  an'  help  Neils  row  back  to  the  Maggie  with 
the  cable,"  Mr.  Gibney  volunteered.  "Cash  in  ad- 
vance, as  per  usual." 

"You're  a  pair  of  highway  robbers,  but  I'll  take  you," 
Scraggs  almost  wailed,  and  paid  out  the  money;  where- 
upon Gibney  and  McGuffey  "tailed"  on  to  the  rope 
and  with  raucous  cries  hauled  away.  As  a  result  of 
their  efforts,  the  thwart  came  away  with  the  rope  and 
the  quartet  sat  down  with  exceeding  abruptness  on  the 
hard  pine  deck  of  the  Chesapeake. 

"I  had  an  idee  that  thwart  would  pull  loose,"  Mr. 
Gibney  remarked,  as  he  got  up  and  rubbed  the  seat 
of  his  dungarees.  "If  you'd  had  an  ounce  of  sense, 
Scraggsy,  you'd  have  saved  twenty  dollars  an*  rigged  a 
watch-tackle,  although  even  then  the  thwart  would 
have  come  away,  pullin'  agin  a  vacuum  that  way. 
Well,  you've  lost  a  good  skiff  worth  at  least  twenty-five 
dollars  not  to  mention  the  two  ash  breezes  that  went 
with  her.  That  helps  some.  What're  you  goin'  to  do 
now?  Lay  the  Maggie  alongside  the  bark?  I  wouldn't 
if  I  was  you.  The  sea's  a  mite  choppy  an'  if  you  bump 
the  Maggie  agin  the  bark  she'll  do  one  o'  two  things — • 
stave  in  her  topsides  or  bump  that  top-heavy  deckload 
o*  vegetables  overboard.  An'  if  that  happens,"  he 
reminded  Scraggs,  "you'll  be  doin5  your  bookkeepin5 
With  red  ink  for  quite  a  spell." 

"I   ain't   licked   yet — not   by   a   jugful,"   Scraggs 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  93 

snapped.  "Halvorsen,  haul  down  that  signal  halyard 
from  the  mizzenmast,  take  one  end  of  it  in  your  teeth, 
an'  swim  back  to  the  Maggie  with  it.  We'll  fasten  a 
heavier  line  to  the  signal  halyard,  bend  the  other  end 
of  the  heavy  line  to  the  cable,  an'  haul  the  cable  aboard 
with  the  Maggie's  winch." 

"You  say  that  so  nice,  Scraggsy,  old  hopeful,  I'm 
tempted  to  think  you  can  whistle  it.  Neils,  he's  only 
askin'  you  to  risk  your  life  overboard  for  nothing. 
'Tain't  in  the  shippin'  articles  that  a  seaman's  got  to 
do  that.  If  he  wants  a  swimmin'  exhibition  make  hint 
pay  for  it — through  the  nose.  An'  if  I  was  you,  I'd 
find  out  how  much  o'  this  two  thousand  dollars'  towage 
he's  goin'  to  distribute  to  his  crew.  Pers'nally  I'd  get 
mine  in  advance." 

"Adelbert  P.  Gibney,"  Captain  Scraggs  hissed. 
"There's  such  a  thing  as  drivin'  a  man  to  distraction. 
Halvorsen,  are  you  with  me?" 

"Aye  bane — for  saxty  dollars.  Hay  bane  worth  a 
month's  pay  for  take  dat  swim." 

"  You  dirty  Scowegian  ingrate.  Well,  you  don't  get 
no  sixty  dollars  from  me.  Bear  a  hand  and  we'll  drop 
the  ship's  work  boat  overboard.  I  guess  you  can  tow 
a  signal  halyard  to  the  Maggie,  can't  you,  Neils?" 

Neils  could — and  did.  Within  fifteen  minutes  the 
Maggie  was  fast  to  her  prize.  "Now  we'll  cockbill  the 
anchor,"  quoth  Captain  Scraggs,  so  McGuffey  reporting 
sufficient  steam  in  the  donkey  to  turn  over  the  windlass, 
the  anchor  was  raised  and  cockbilled,  and  the  Maggie 
hauled  away  on  the  hawser  the  instant  Captain  Scraggs 
signalled  his  new  navigating  officer  that  the  hook  was 
free  of  the  bottom. 


94  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"The  old  girl  don't  seem  to  be  makin'  headway  in 
the  right  direction,"  McGuffey  remarked  plaintively, 
after  the  Maggie  had  strained  at  the  hawser  for  five 
minutes.  Mr.  Gibney,  standing  by  with  a  hammer  in 
his  hand,  nodded  affirmatively,  while  the  skipper  of  the 
Chesapeake,  whom  Mr.  Gibney  had  had  the  forethought 
to  carry  out  on  deck  to  watch  the  operation,  glanced 
apprehensively  ashore.  Scraggs  measured  the  dis- 
tance with  his  eye  to  the  nearest  fringe  of  surf  and  it 
was  plain  that  he  was  worried. 

"Captain  Scraggs,"  the  skipper  of  the  Chesapeake 
called  feebly,  "Mr.  Gibney  is  right.  That  craft  of 
yours  is  unable  to  tow  my  ship  against  this  wind. 
You're  losing  ground,  inch  by  inch,  and  it  will  be  only  a 
matter  of  an  hour  or  two,  if  you  hang  on  to  me,  before 
1*11  be  in  the  breakers  and  a  total  loss.  You'll  have  to 
get  sail  on  her  or  let  go  the  anchor  until  a  tug  arrives." 

"I  don't  know  a  thing  about  a  sailin'  ship,"  Scraggs 
quavered. 

"I  know  it  all,"  Mr.  Gibney  cut  in,  "but  there  ain't 
money  enough  in  the  world  to  induce  me  to  exercise 
that  knowledge  to  your  profit."  He  turned  to  the 
master  of  the  Chesapeake.  "For  one  hundred  dollars 
each,  McGuffey  an'  I  will  sail  her  in  for  you,  sir." 

"I'll  not  take  the  risk,  Mr.  Gibney.  Captain 
Scraggs,  if  you  will  follow  my  instructions  we'll  get 
some  sail  on  the  Chesapeake.  Take  those  lines  through 
the  leading  blocks  to  the  winch " 

The  engineer  of  the  Maggie  came  up  on  deck  and 
waved  his  arms  wildly.  "Leggo,"  he  bawled.  "I've 
blown  out  two  tubes.  It'll  be  all  I  can  do  to  get  home 
without  that  tow." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  95 

"Jump  on  that,  Scraggsy,"  quoth  McGuffey  softly 
and  cast  his  silken  engineer's  cap  on  the  deck  at  Scraggs's 
feet.  The  latter's  face  was  ashen  as  he  turned  to  the 
skipper  of  the  Chesapeake.  "I'm  through,"  he  gulped. 
"I'll  have  to  cast  off.  Your  ship's  drivin'  on  to  the 
beach  now." 

"Oh,  say  not  so,  Scraggsy,"  said  Mr.  Gibney  softly, 
and  with  a  blow  of  the  hammer  knocked  out  the  stopper 
on  the  windlass  and  let  the  anchor  go  down  by  the  run. 
"Not  this  voyage,  at  least."  The  Chesapeake  rounded 
up  with  a  jerk  and  Mr.  Gibney  took  Captain  Scraggs 
gently  by  the  arm.  "Into  the  small  boat,  old  ruin," 
he  whispered,  "and  I'll  row  you  an'  The  Squarehead 
back  to  the  Maggie.  If  she  drifts  ashore  with  that 
load  o'  garden  truck,  you  might  as  well  drown  your- 
self." 

Captain  Scraggs  was  beyond  words.  He  suffered 
himself  to  be  taken  back  to  the  Maggie,  after  which 
kindly  action  Mr.  Gibney  returned  to  the  Chesapeake, 
climbed  aboard,  and  with  the  assistance  of  McGuffey, 
hauled  the  work  boat  up  on  deck. 


N 


CHAPTER  XIII 

OW,"  Mr.  Gibney  inquired,  approaching  the 
skipper  of  the  Chesapeake,  "what'll  you  give 
me  an*  Mac,  sir,  to  sail  you  in?     Has  it  dawned 
1  on  you,  sir,  that  if  I  hadn't  had  sense  enough  to  cock- 
bill  that  anchor  again  you'd  be  on  the  beach  this 
minute?" 

"One  thousand  dollars,"  the  skipper  answered 
weakly. 

"You  refused  to  let  us  do  it  for  a  hundred.  Now 
it'll  cost  you  two  thousand,  an'  I'm  lettin'  you  off  cheap 
at  that.  Of  course,  you  can  take  a  chance  an'  wait 
until  word  o'  your  predicament  sifts  into  San  Francisco 
an*  a  tug  comes  out  for  you,  but  in  the  meantime  the 
wind  may  increase  an*  with  the  tide  at  the  flood  how  do 
you  know  your  anchor  won't  drag  an'  pile  you  up  on 
them  rocks  to  leeward?  " 
'  "I'll  pay  two  thousand,  Mr.  Gibney." 

Without  further  ado,  Mr.  Gibney  went  to  the  mas- 
ter's cabin,  wrote  out  an  agreement,  carried  the  skipper 
aft  and  got  his  signature  to  the  contract.  Then  he 
tucked  the  skipper  into  bed  and  came  dashing  out  on 
deck.  The  wind  was  from  the  northwest  and  luckily 
the  foreyard  was  braced  to  starboard  while  the  main- 
yard  was  braced  to  port,  so  his  problem  was  a  simple 
one. 

"  Come  here  till  I  introduce  you  to  the  jib  halyards," 

96 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  97 

he  bawled  to  McGuffey,  and  they  went  forward.  Un- 
der Gibney's  direction,  the  jib  halyards  were  taken 
through  the  leading  blocks  to  the  winch  head;  Mc- 
Guffey manned  the  winch  and  the  jib  was  hauled  up. 
"St-eady-y-y!  'Vast  heavin',"  cried  Mr.  Gibney. 
"Now  then,  we'll  cast  off  them  jib  halyards  an'  make 
'em  fast.  .  .  .  Right-O  .  .  .  Now  stand  by 
to  brace  the  foreyard.  Bart,  for  the  love  o'  heaven, 
help  me  with  this  foreyard  brace." 

With  the  aid  of  the  winch,  they  braced  the  foreyard; 
then  McGuffey  ran  aft  and  took  the  wheel  while  Mr. 
Gibney  scuttled  forward,  eased  up  the  compressor  on 
the  windlass,  and  permitted  the  anchor  chain  to  pay 
out  rapidly.  With  the  hammer,  he  knocked  out  the 
pin  at  the  forty-five  fathom  shackle  and  leaving  the 
anchor  to  go  by  the  board,  for  it  worried  him  no  longer, 
the  bark  Chesapeake  moved  gently  off  on  a  west-sou'- 
west  course  that  would  keep  her  three  points  off  the 
land.  She  had  sufficient  head  sail  on  now  to  hold  her  up. 

Mr.  Gibney  fell  upon  the  main  to'gallan'-s'l  leads 
like  a  demon,  carried  them  through  the  leading  block 
to  the  winch  head,  turned  over  the  winch  and  sheeted 
home  the  main-to'-gallan'-s'l.  The  Chesapeake  gath- 
ered speed  and  Mr.  Gibney  went  aft  and  stood  beside 
Mr.  McGuffey,  the  while  he  looked  aloft  and  thrilled 
to  the  whine  of  the  breeze  through  the  rigging.  "  This 
is  sailorizin',"  he  declared.  "It  sure  beats  bumboat- 
in'.  Here,  blast  you,  Bart.  You're  spiliin'  the  wind 
out  o'  that  jib.  First  thing  you  know  we'll  have  her  in 
irons  an'  then  the  fat  will  be  in  the  fire." 

He  took  the  wheel  from  McGuffey.  When  he  was 
two  miles  off  the  beach  he  brought  her  up  into  the  wind 


98  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

and  made  the  wheel  fast,  a  spoke  to  leeward.  "Sheet 
home  the  fore-to'-gallan'-s'l,"  he  howled  and  dashed 
forward.  "Leggo  them  buntlines  an*  clewlines,  my 
hearties,  an*  haul  home  that  sheet." 

The  ship  lay  in  the  wind,  shivering.  Mr.  Gibney 
was  here,  there,  everywhere.  One  minute  he  was  dash- 
ing along  the  deck  with  a  leading  line,  the  next  he  was 
laying  out  aloft.  He  ordered  himself  to  do  a  thing  and 
then,  with  the  pent-up  energy  of  a  thousand  devils,  he 
did  it.  The  years  of  degradation  as  navigating  officer 
of  the  Maggie  fell  away  from  him,  as  he  sprang,  agile 
and  half -naked,  into  the  shrouds;  a  great,  hairy  demi- 
god or  sea-goblin  he  lay  out  along  the  yards  and  sprang 
from  place  to  place  with  the  old  exultant  thrill  of  youth 
and  joy  in  his  work. 

"Overhaul  them  buntlines  an'  clewlines,"  he  bawled 
to  an  imaginary  crew.  "Set  that  main-royal."  With 
McGuffey's  help  the  sheets  came  home,  the  halyards 
were  taken  to,  the  yards  mast-headed,  and  the  halyards 
belayed  to  their  pin.  The  main-royal  was  now  set  so 
they  fell  to  on  the  fore-royal.  A  word,  a  gesture,  from 
Mr.  Gibney,  and  McGuffey  would  pounce  on  a  rope  like 
a  bull-dog.  With  the  fore-royal  set,  Mr.  Gibney  ran 
back  to  the  wheel  and  put  it  hard  over.  There  being 
no  after  sail  set  the  bark  swung  off  readily  on  to  her 
course,  slipping  through  the  water  at  a  nice  eight-knot 
speed.  Ten  miles  off  the  coast,  Mr.  Gibney  hung  her 
up  in  the  wind  again,  braced  his  yards  with  the  aid  of 
the  winch  and  McGuffey,  came  about  and  headed 
north.  At  three  o'clock  she  cleared  the  lightship  and 
wore  around  to  come  in  over  the  bar,  steering  east  by 
south,  half-south,  for  Point  Bonita.  She  drew  the  full 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  99 

advantage  of  the  wind  now  and  over  the  bar  she  came, 
ramping  full  through  the  Gate  with  her  yards  squared, 
on  the  last  of  the  flood  tide. 

As  they  passed  Lime  Point,  Mr.  Gibney  prepared  to 
shorten  sail  and  like  a  clarion  blast  his  voice  rang 
through  the  ship. 

"Clew  up  them  royals."  He  lashed  the  wheel  and 
they  brought  the  clewlines  again  to  the  winch  head. 
The  ship  was  falling  off  a  little  before  the  fore-royal  was 
clewed  up,  so  Mr.  Gibney  ran  back  to  the  wheel  and 
put  her  on  her  course  again  while  McGuffey  brought 
the  main-royal  clewlines  to  the  winch.  Again  Gibney 
made  the  wheel  fast  and  helped  McGuffey  clew  up  the 
main-royal;  again  he  set  her  on  her  course  while  Mc- 
Guffey, following  instructions,  made  ready  to  clew  up 
the  fore-to'-gallan'-s'l.  They  were  abreast  Black  Point 
before  this  latter  sail  was  clewed  up,  and  then  they 
smothered  the  lower  top-s'ls;  the  bark  was  slipping 
lazily  through  the  water  and  McGuffey  took  the  wheel. 

"Starboard  a  little!  Steady-y-y!  Keep  her  as  she 
heads,"  Gibney  warned  and  cast  off  the  jib  halyards. 
The  jibs  slid  down  the  stays,  hanging  as  they  fell.  They 
were  well  up  toward  Meiggs  wharf  now  and  it  devolved 
upon  Mr.  Gibney  to  bring  his  prize  in  on  the  quarantine 
ground  and  let  go  his  port  anchor.  Fortunately,  the 
anchor  was  already  cock-billed.  Mr.  Gibney  sprang 
to  the  fore-top-sail  halyards  and  let  them  go  and  the 
fore-top-sail  came  down  by  the  run. 

"  Hard-a-starboard !  Make  her  fast,  Bart,  an'  come 
up  here  an'  help  me  with  the  anchor.  Let  go  the  main- 
top-sail halyards  as  you  come  by  an'  stand  by  the  com- 
pressor on  the  windlass." 


100  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

The  Chesapeake  swung  slowly,  broadside  to  the  first 
of  the  ebb  and  with  the  wind  on  her  port  beam,  Mr. 
Gibney  knocked  out  the  stopper  with  his  trusty  ham- 
mer and  away  went  the  rusty  chain,  singing  through 
the  hawsepipe.  "Snub  her  gently,  Mac,  snub  her 
gently,  an'  give  her  the  thirty -fathom  shackle  to  the 
water's  edge,"  he  warned  McGuffey. 

The  bark  swung  until  her  bows  were  straightened  to 
the  ebb  tide  and  with  a  wild,  triumphant  yell  Mr.  Gib- 
ney clasped  the  honest  McGuffey  to  his  perspiring 
bosom.  The  deed  was  done! 

It  was  dark,  however,  before  they  had  all  the  sails 
snugged  up  shipshape,  although  in  the  meantime  the 
quarantine  launch  had  hove  alongside,  investigated, 
and  removed  those  of  the  crew  who  still  lived.  Shortly 
thereafter  the  coroner  came  and  removed  the  dead, 
after  which  Gibney  and  McGuffey  hosed  down  the  deck, 
located  some  hard  tack  and  coffee,  supped  and  turned 
in  in  the  officers'  quarters.  In  the  morning,  Scab  Johnny 
arrived  in  a  launch  with  their  other  clothes  (Mr.  Gib- 
ney having  thoughtfully  sent  him  ten  dollars  on  ac- 
count of  their  old  board  bill,  together  with  a  request 
for  the  clothes),  and  when  the  agents  of  the  Chesapeake 
sent  a  watchman  to  relieve  them  they  went  ashore  and 
had  breakfast  at  the  Marigold  Cafe.  After  breakfast, 
they  called  at  the  office  of  the  agents,  where  they  were 
complimented  on  their  daring  seamanship  and  received 
a  check  for  one  thousand  dollars  each. 

"Well,  now,"  McGuffey  declared,  after  they  had 
cashed  their  checks,  "Seein*  as  how  I've  become  inde- 
pendently wealthy  by  following  your  lead,  Adelbert, 
all  I  got  to  say  is  that  I'm  a-goin'  to  stick  to  you 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  101 

like  a  limpet  to  a  rock.  What'll  we  do  with  our 
money?" 

For  the  first  time  in  his  checkered  career  Mr.  Gibney 
had  a  sane,  sensible,  and  serious  thought.  "Has  it  ever 
occurred  to  you,  Mac,  how  much  nicer  it  is  to  have  a 
few  dollars  in  the  bank,  good  clothes  on  your  back,  an* 
a  credit  with  your  friends?  Me,  all  my  life  I  been  a 
come-easy,  go-easy,  come-Sunday,-God'll-send-Mon- 
day  sort  o'  feller,  until  in  my  forty-second  year  I'm 
little  better'n  a  beachcomber.  It  sure  hurt  me  to 
have  to  beg  that  ornery  Scraggs  for  a  job;  if  I  ever 
sighed  for  independence  it  was  the  other  night  in  Half- 
moon  Bay  when,  footsore  an'  desperate,  we  stood  by  an' 
let  that  little  wart  harpoon  us.  So  now,  when  you  ask 
me  what  I'm  goin'  to  do  with  my  money,  I'll  tell  you  I'm 
going  to  save  it,  after  first  payin'  up  about  seventy-five 
bucks  I  owe  here  an'  there  along  the  Front.  I'm 
through  drhi kin'  an'  raisin'  hell.  Me  for  a  savings 
bank,  Bart." 

"I  said  I'd  string  with  you  an'  I  will.  After  we  de- 
posit our  money  suppose  we  drop  down  to  Jackson 
Street  wharf  an'  say  hello  to  Scraggs.  I  got  a  great 
curiosity  to  see  what  that  new  engineer  has  done  to  my 
boiler." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

WHEN  Captain  Scraggs,  after  abandoning  all 
hope  of  salving  the  bark  Chesapeake,  returned 
to  the  Maggie,  the  little  craft  reminded  him  of 
nothing  so  much  as  the  ward  for  the  incorrigible  of  an 
insane  asylum.  Due  to  Captain  Scraggs's  stupidity  and 
the  general  inefficiency  of  the  Maggie,  the  new  navigating 
officer  was  of  the  opinion  that  he  had  been  swindled  out 
of  his  share  of  the  salvage,  while  the  new  engineer,  furi- 
ous at  having  been  engaged  to  baby  such  a  ruin  as  the 
Maggie9 s  boiler  turned  out  to  be,  blamed  Scraggs's  parsi- 
mony for  the  loss  of  his  share  of  the  salvage.  There- 
fore, both  men  aired  with  the  utmost  frankness  their 
opinion  of  their  employer;  even  Neils  Halvorsen  was 
peeved.  Their  depression  and  rage  was  nothing,  how- 
ever, compared  with  that  of  Captain  Scraggs's.  He  had 
recklessly  jettisoned  approximately  two  hundred  dollars' 
worth  of  vegetables;  indeed  the  loss  might  go  higher, 
for  all  he  knew.  Also,  he  had  lost  his  skiff,  and  Mc- 
Guffey  and  Gibney  had  practically  blackmailed  him  out 
of  forty  dollars.  Then,  to  cap  the  climax,  he  had  been 
forced  to  abandon  two  thousand  dollars  to  his  enemies; 
and  as  the  Maggie  crept  north  at  three  knots  an  hour 
the  knowledge  that  he  must,  even  against  his  desires, 
install  a  new  boiler,  overwhelmed  him  to  such  an  extent 
that  he  found  it  impossible  to  submit  silently  to  the 
nagging  of  the  navigating  officer.  One  word  borrowed 

102 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  103 

another  until  diplomatic  relations  were  severed  and,  in 
the  language  of  the  classic,  they  "mixed  it."  They 
were  fairly  well  matched,  and,  to  the  credit  of  Captain 
Scraggs  be  it  said,  whenever  he  believed  himself  to  have 
a  fighting  chance  Scraggs  would  fight  and  fight  well, 
under  the  Tom-cat  rules  of  fisticuffs. 

Following  a  bloody  battle  in  the  pilot  house,  he  sub- 
dued the  mate;  following  his  victory  he  was  still  war 
mad,  so  he  went  to  the  engine-room  hatch  and  abused 
the  engineer.  As  a  result  of  the  day's  events,  both 
men  quit  when  the  Maggie  was  tied  up  at  Jackson 
Street  wharf  and  once  more  Captain  Scraggs  was  help- 
less. In  his  extremity,  he  wished  he  hadn't  been  so 
hard  on  Mr.  Gibney  and  McGuffey,  for  he  realized  he 
could  never  hope  to  get  them  back  until  their  salvage 
money  should  be  spent. 

He  had  other  tortures  in  addition.  He  could  not 
afford  to  await  the  construction  of  a  new  boiler,  for  if 
he  did  some  other  skipper  would  cut  in  on  the  vegetable 
trade  he  had  worked  up,  for  vegetables,  being  perish- 
able, could  not  lie  on  the  dock  at  Half  moon  Bay  longer 
than  forty-eight  hours.  It  behooved  Scraggs,  there- 
fore, to  place  an  order  for  the  new  boiler  and,  in  the 
meantime,  to  get  a  gang  down  aboard  the  Maggie  im- 
mediately and  put  in  at  least  ten  new  tubes.  By  work- 
ing night  and  day  this  job  might  be  accomplished  in 
forty-eight  hours,  and,  fortunately,  Sunday  intervened. 
Scraggs  shuddered  at  thought  of  the  expense,  for  in  ad- 
dition to  being  parsimonious  he  had  very  little  ready 
cash  on  hand  and  no  credit. 

When  Mr.  Gibney  and  McGuffey,  wrapped  In  the 
calm  thrall  of  their  new-found  financial  independence, 


104  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

arrived  at  the  Maggie's  berth,  they  were  inclined  to 
levity.  Indeed,  they  had  come  for  the  express  purpose 
of  spoofing  their  late  employer;  to  crow  over  him  and 
grind  his  poor  soul  into  the  dirt.  Fortunately  for 
Scraggs,  he  was  not  aboard,  but  sounds  of  activity  com- 
ing from  the  engine  room  aroused  McGuffey's  curiosity 
to  such  an  extent  that  he  descended  thereto  at  great 
risk  to  a  new  suit  of  clothes  and  discovered  four  men  at 
work  on  the  boiler.  They  had  cut  the  rivets  and  re- 
moved the  head  and  at  sight  of  the  ruin  disclosed  within, 
Mr.  McGuffey  was  truly  shocked — and  awed.  Why  he 
hadn't  been  blown  to  Kingdom  Come  months  before 
was  a  profound  mystery. 

He  came  up  and  joined  Mr.  Gibney  on  a  pile  of  old 
hemp  hawser  coiled  on  the  bulkhead.  "Danged  if  I 
don't  feel  sorry  for  old  Scraggsy,  for  all  his  meanness," 
he  declared.  "It's  goin'  to  cost  him  five  hundred  dol- 
lars to  patch  up  the  old  boiler  an'  keep  the  Maggie 
runnin'  until  he  can  ship  a  new  boiler.  The  oP  fool 
don't  know  a  thing  about  the  job  himself  an'  there's 
four  men  down  there,  without  a  foreman,  soldierin'  on 
him  an'  soakin'  him  a  dollar  an'  a  half  an  hour  overtime. 
He's  in  so  deep  now  he  might  as  well  jump  into  bank- 
ruptcy entirely  an'  put  in  a  set  o'  piston  rings,  repack 
the  pumps  an'  the  stuffin-box,  shim  up  the  bearin's  an* 
do  a  lot  of  little  things  the  old  Maggie's  just  hollerin' 
to  have  done." 

"To  err  is  human;  to  forgive  divine,"  Mr.  Gibney 
orated.  "Come  to  think  of  it,  Mac,  we  give  the  old 
man  all  that  was  comin'  to  him  the  other  day — a  little 
bit  more,  mebbe.  He  must  be  raw  an'  bleedin',  an*  it 
wouldn't  be  sporty  to  plague  him  some  more." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  105 

"Durned  if  I  don't  feel  like  jumpin'  into  a  suit  of 
dungarees  an'  helpin'  him  out  in  that  engine  room, 
Gib." 

"Troubles  always  comes  in  a  flock,  Bart.  The 
Squarehead  tells  me  his  new  navigatin'  officer  an'  the 
new  engineer  has  jumped  their  jobs.  It's  a  dollar  to  a 
dime  he  asks  us  to  come  back  if  he  sees  us  half  way  will- 
in'  to  be  friendly  an'  forget  the  past." 

"Well,"  the  philosophical  McGuffey  declared.  "See- 
in'  as  how  we've  reformed,  even  with  money  in  bank, 
we  might  just  as  well  be  workin'  as  loafin'.  There's 
more  money  in  it.  An'  if  it  wasn't  that  Scraggs  is  so 
ornery  there's4worse  jobs  than  me  an'  you  had  on  the 
old  Maggie" 

"I  been  wonderin'  if  we  couldn't  reform  Scraggsy 
by  heapin'  coals  of  fire  on  his  head,  Bart." 

"  What  d'ye  mean  ?  Heapin'  coals  o'  fire  on  Scraggs'd 
sure  keep  an  ash  hoist  busy." 

"Oh,  I  dunno,  Bart.  The  old  man  has  his  troubles. 
There's  Mrs.  Scraggs  a-peckin'  at  him  every  time  he 
goes  home,  an'  the  Maggie's  a  worry,  not  to  mention  the 
fact  that  there  ain't  much  more'n  a  decent  livin'  for  him 
in  the  green-pea  trade.  An'  he  ain't  gittin'  any  young- 
er, Bart.  You  got  to  bear  that  in  mind." 

"Yes,  an'  he's  been  disapp'inted  in  his  ambitions," 
McGuffey  agreed.  "On  top  o'  that,  the  Ocean  Shore 
Railroad  is  buildin'  down  the  coast  an'  as  soon  as  the 
roadbed  is  completed  over  the  San  Pedro  Mountains 
them  farmers'll  haul  their  produce  to  the  railhead  in 
motor  trucks — an'  there  won't  be  no  more  business  for 
the  Maggie.  Three  months  more'll  see  the  Maggie 
laid  up." 


106  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

Mr.  Gibney  nodded.  "It's  just  the  sweet  tender- 
ness of  Satan  we'll  be  flush  when  Scraggsy's  broke, 
Bart." 

"Dang  it,  Gib,  I  sure  feel  sorry  for  the  old  man  after 
takin'  a  look  at  that  engine  room.  She's  a  holy  fright." 

"Well,  we'll  make  up  with  him  when  he  comes  back, 
Bart,  an'  if  he  shows  a  contrite  sperrit — well,  who 
knows?  We  might  do  somethin'  for  him." 

"He's  got  to  have  some  financial  help  to  get  that 
engine  turnin'  over  again,  that's  a  cinch." 

"So  I  been  thinkin'.  We  might  lend  him  a  coupler 
hundred  bones  at  ten  per  cent.,  secured  by  a  mortgage 
on  the  Maggie,  if  he's  up  agin  it  hard.  Havin'  money 
in  bank  is  one  thing  but  locatin'  an  investment  for  it  is 
another.  I've  kidded  the  old  man  a  lot  about  the  Mag- 
gie, but  she's  worth  two  thousand  dollars  if  some- 
body'd  spend  a  thousand  on  her  inner  works  an'  give 
her  a  dab  o'  paint  an'  some  new  fire  hose  an'  one  thing 
an'  another." 

"We'll  wait  here  until  Scraggs  shows  up  an'  see  what 
he  says.  If  he  still  says  'Good  mornin',  boys,'  we'll 
answer  him  civil  an'  see  what  it  leads  to,  Gib." 

Mr.  Gibney  grunted  his  approval  and  Mr.  McGuf- 
fey,  bringing  out  a  pocket  knife,  fell  to  manicuring  his 
terrible  finger  nails  and  paring  the  callous  patches  off 
his  palms.  Mr.  Gibney  lighted  a  Sailor's  Delight  cigar 
and  puffed  meditatively,  the  while  he  watched  a  gaso- 
line tug  kicking  the  little  schooner  Tropic  Bird  into  an 
adjacent  berth.  From  the  Tropic  Bird  came  an  odour 
of  copra  and  pineapple  and  Mr.  Gibney  sighed;  evi- 
dently that  South  Sea  fragrance  aroused  in  him  old 
memories,  for  presently  he  spat  overboard,  watched 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  107 

his  spittle  float  away  on  the  tide,  sighed  again,  and  de- 
clared, apropos  of  nothing: 

"When  I  was  a  young  man,  Mac,  I  was  a  damned  fine 
young  man.  I  had  a  bunch  o'  red  whiskers  an'  a  pair 
o'  fists  like  two  picnic  hams.  I  was  a  wonder." 

Silently  Mr.  McGuffey  nodded  an  endorsement  of 
his  comrade's  indicated  horsepower  and  peculiar  mas- 
culine beauty  in  the  days  of  the  latter's  vanished  youth. 
He  continued  to  prune  his  hands. 

"I  was  six  feet  two  in  my  socks,  when  I  wore  any, 
which  wasn't  often,"  Mr.  Gibney  continued.  "I've 
shrunk  half  an  inch  since  them  days.  I  weighed  a 
hundred  an'  ninety-seven  pounds  in  the  buff  an'  my 
chest  bulged  like  a  goose-wing  tops'l.  In  them  days, 
I  was  an  evil  man  to  monkey  with.  I  could  have 
taken  two  like  Scraggsy  an'  chewed  'em  up,  spittin' 
out  their  bones  an'  belt  buckles.  I  sure  was  a  won- 
der." 

"You  must  ha'  been  with  them  red  whiskers  on 
your  face,"  McGuffey  agreed.  He  refrained  from  say- 
ing more,  for  instinct  told  him  Mr.  Gibney  was  about 
to  grow  reminiscent  and  spin  a  yarn,  and  B.  McGuffey 
had  a  true  seaman's  reverence  for  a  goodly  tale,  whether 
true,  half-true,  or  wholly  fanciful. 

Mr.  Gibney  sniffed  again  the  subtle  tang  of  the  South 
Seas  drifting  over  from  the  Tropic  Bird,  and  when  a 
Kanaka,  scantily  clad,  came  on  deck,  threw  a  couple  of 
fenders  overside  and  retired  to  the  forecastle  singing  one 
of  those  Hawaiian  ballads  that  are  so  mournfully  sweet 
and  funereal,  Mr.  Gibney  sighed  again. 

"Gawd!"  he  murmured.  "I've  sure  made  a  hash 
o'  my  young  life." 


108  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"What's  bitin'  you,  Gib?"  Mr.  McGuffey's  voice 
was  molten  with  sympathy. 

"I  was  just  thinkin',"  replied  Mr.  Gibney,  "just 
thinking  Mac.  It's  the  pineapples  as  does  it — the 
smell  of  the  South  Seas.  Here  I  am,  big  enough  and 
old  enough  and  ugly  enough  to  know  better,  and  yet 
every  time  the  City  Of  Papeete  or  the  Tropic  Bird  or  the 
Aorangi  come  into  port  and  I  see  the  Kanaka  boys 
swabbin'  down  decks  and  get  a  snifter  o'  that  fine  smell 
of  the  Island  trade,  my  innards  wilt  down  like  a  mess 
o'  cabbage  an*  I  ain't  myself  no  more  until  after  the 
fifth  drink." 

"Sorter  what  th'  feller  calls  vain  regrets,"  suggested 
McGuffey. 

"Vain  regrets  is  the  word,"  mourned  Mr.  Gibney. 
"It  all  comes  back  to  me  what  I  hove  away  when  I  was 
young  an'  foolish  an'  didn't  know  when  I  was  well  off. 
If  there'd  only  been  some  good-hearted  lad  to  advise 
me,  I  wouldn't  be  a-settin'  here  on  a  hemp  hawser,  a 
blasted  beachcombin'  bucko  mate  and  out  of  a  job. 
No,  siree.  I'd  'a'  still  been  King  Gibney,  Mac,  with 
power  o5  life  an'  death  over  two  thousand  odd  black- 
birds, an'  I'd  'a'  had  a  beautiful  wife  an'  a  dozen  kids 
maybe,  with  pigs  an'  chickens  an'  copra  an'  shell  an'  a 
big  bungalow  an'  money.  That's  what  I  chucked  away 
when  I  was  young  an'  nobody  to  advise  me." 

McGuffey  made  no  comment  on  Mr.  Gibney's  out- 
burst. There  are  moments  in  life  when  silence  is  the 
greatest  sympathy  one  can  offer,  and  intuitively  Mc- 
Guffey felt  that  he  was  face  to  face  with  a  tragedy. 
When  a  shipmate's  soul  lay  bare  it  was  not  for  the 
McGuffey  to  inspect  it  too  closely. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  109 

"Yes,  McGuffey,  I  was  a  king  once.  Some  people 
might  try  to  make  out  as  how  I  was  only  a  chief,  but 
you  take  it  from  me,  Mac,  I  was  a  king.  I  was  King 
Gibney,  the  first,  of  Aranuka,  in  the  Gilberts,  with  the 
seat  of  government  at  Nonuti,  which  is  a  blackbird  vil- 
lage right  under  Hakatuea.  No  matter  which  way  you 
approach,  you  can't  miss  it.  Hakatuea's  a  dead  vol- 
cano, with  ashes  on  top  and  just  enough  fire  inside  to 
cast  a  glow  against  the  sky  at  night.  There's  a  fair 
anchorage  inside  the  reef,  but  it  takes  a  good  man  to 
land  through  the  surf  at  high  tide  in  a  whaleboat.  I 
used  to  do  it  regular.  Aranuka  was  a  nice  place,  with 
plenty  of  fresh  water,  and  some  of  the  Island  schooners, 
and  once  in  a  while  a  British  gunboat  would  stop  there. 
Gawd,  McGuffey,  but  when  I  was  king,  they  used  to 
pay  dear  for  their  fresh  water,  except  the  gunboats, 
which  of  course  came  on  and  helped  themselves  without 
askin'  no  questions  of  me  and  parliament — which  was 
both  the  same  thing.  I  was  in  Aranuka  first  in  '88  and 
again  in  '89,  and  I  was  a  fool  for  leavin'  it." 

"What  was  you  doin'  in  this  here  Aranuka?*'  asked 
Mr.  McGuffey. 

"In  '88  I  was  blackbirdin'  and  in  '89  I  was — why, 
what  d'ye  expect  a  king  does,  anyhow?  You  don't 
suppose  I  worked,  do  you?  Because  I  didn't.  I  ate 
and  drank  and  slept  and  went  in  swimmin'  with  the 
court  officers  and  did  a  little  fishin'  an'  fightin';  and  on 
moonlight  nights  I  used  to  sprawl  in  the  grass  out  on 
the  edge  of  Hakatuea  with  my  head  in  my  queen's  lap, 
rubberin'  up  at  the  Southern  Cross  and  watchin'  the 
rollers  breakin'  white  over  the  reef.  And  everything'd 
be  as  still  as  death  except  for  that  eternal  swishin*  of 


110  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

i  ^ 

the  surf  on  the  beach,  babblin'  of  'Peace!  Peace! 
Peace!'  an*  maybe  once  in  a  while  the  royal  voice  lifted 
in  one  of  them  sad  slumber  songs  of  the  South  Seas — 
creepy  and  dirgelike  and  beautiful.  My  girl  could 
sing  circles  around  a  sky  lark.  I  taught  her  how  to 
sing  'John  Brown's  Body  Lies  A-Smoulderin'  in  th' 
Grave/  though  she  didn't  have  no  more  notion  o'  what 
she  was  singin'  than  a  ring-tailed  monkey." 

"How  d'ye  come  to  pick  up  with  her?"  inquired 
McGuffey  politely. 

"I  didn't  come  to  pick  up  with  her,"  answered  Mr. 
Gibney.  "She  took  a  fancy  to  them  red  whiskers  o* 
mine,  and  picked  up  with  me.  She  used  to  stick  hibis- 
cus flowers  in  them  red  curtains  and  stand  off  and  ad- 
mire me  by  the  hour.  You  can  imagine  how  gay  I 
used  to  feel  with  flowers  in  my  whiskers.  That  was 
one  of  the  reasons  why  I  left  her  finally. 

"But  them  was  the  days!  Me  an'  Bull  McGinty( 
was  the  two  finest  men  north  or  south  of  the  Line. 
We  was  worth  six  ordinary  white  men  each,  and  twenty 
blacks,  and  we  was  respected.  I  first  met  Bull  Mc- 
Ginty  in  Shanghai  Nelson's  boarding  house,  over  in 
Oregon  Street,  not  three  blocks  from  where  we're  settin* 
now.  I  was  twenty  years  old  an'  holdin'  a  second  mate's 
ticket,  for  I'd  been  battin'  around  the  world  on  clipper 
ships  since  I  was  fourteen,  an'  I'd  bit  my  way  to  the 
front  quicker  than  most.  Bull  was  a  big  dark  man, 
edgin'  up  onto  the  thirty  mark.  His  great  grand- 
mother'd  been  a  half-breed  Batavian  nigger,  and  his 
father  was  Irish.  Bull  himself  was  nothin',  havin'  been 
born  at  sea,  a  thousand  miles  from  the  nearest  land. 
However,  that  ain't  got  nothin'  to  do  with  the  story. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  111 

Bull  McGinty  was  skipper  an'  owner  of  the  schooner 
Dashin9  Wave,  258  tons  net  register,  when  I  met  him  in 
Shanghai  Nelson's  place.  Also  he  was  broke,  with  the 
Dashin9  Wave  lyin'  out  in  the  stream  off  Mission  Rock 
with  a  Honolulu  Chinaman  aboard  as  crew  and  watch- 
man, while  Bull  hustled  around  shore  tryin'  to  raise 
funds  to  outfit  her  for  another  trip  tojthe  Islands.  He'd 
been  beachcombin'  ten  days  when  I  met  him,  and  we 
took  to  each  other  right  off. 

"'Gib,'  says  Bull  McGinty,  'I  like  you  an'  if  I  ever 
get  money  enough  to  provision  the  Dashin'  Wave,  pay 
the  clearance  fee,  and  put  a  thousand  or  two  of  trade 
aboard  her,  you  must  come  mate  with  me  and  if  you 
should  have  a  little  money  by,  enough  to  fix  us  up,  I'll 
not  only  give  you  the  mate's  berth,  but  I'll  put  you  in 
on  half  the  lay.' 

"'Done,'  says  I.  CI  ain't  got  ten  cents  Mex  to  my 
name,  but  I'll  outfit  that  vessel  an'  get  her  to  sea  inside 
two  weeks,  or  my  name  ain't  Adelbert  P.  Gibney.' 

"To  look  at  me  now,  McGuffey,  you'd  never  think 
that  in  them  days  I  was  one  of  the  smartest  young 
bucks  that  ever  boxed  the  compass.  I  was  born  with  a 
great  imagination,  Mac.  All  my  life  my  imagination's 
been  my  salvation.  The  ability  to  grab  opportunity 
by  the  tail  and  twist  it  was  my  long  suit,  so  after  my 
talk  with  Bull  McGinty  I  took  a  cruise"along  the  docks, 
lookin'  for  an  idea,  until  I  come  to  Sheeny  Joe's  place. 
He  used  to  keep  fa  sailors'  outfittin'  joint  at  Howard 
and  East  streets,  an'  as  I  stood  in  his  doorway,  the 
Great  Idea  sails  up  to  Sheeny  Joe's  an'  lets  go  both 
anchors. 

"What  was  this  Idea?    It  was   a   waterfront   re- 


11«  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

porter.  It  was  three  waterfront  reporters,  from  three 
mornin'  papers,  an*  all  lookin'  for  news. 

"'Joe,'  says  one  little  runt,  all  hair  an*  nose  an*  eye- 
glasses, *  there  ain't  enough  news  on  the  Front  to-day 
to  dust  a  hummin'  bird's  eyebrow.  Give  me  a  story, 
Joe.  Somethin'  new  an*  brimmin'  with  human  inter- 
est. You  must  have  somethin'  up  your  sleeve,  ain't 
yuh?' 

"  Sheeny  Joe  is  sellin'  a  Panama  paraqueet  a  pair  o' 
six-bit  dungarees  for  a  dollar  and  a  half,  and  he  ain't 
got  no  time  for  reporters,  but  he  looks  up  an'  he  sees  me 
lingerin'  in  the  doorway. 

:"Gib,'  says  he,  'tell  these  reporter  friends  o'  mine 
about  the  time  you  was  wrecked  in  the  Straits  o' 
Magellan,  an'  the  fight  you  had  with  them  man-eatin' 
Patagonian  cannibal  savages.' 

"Of  course,  I  never  was  wrecked  in  no  Straits  o' 
Magellan,  and  as  for  man-eatin'  Patagonian  cannibal 
savages,  I  wouldn't  know  one  if  I  met  him  in  my  grog. 
But  seein'  as  how  Sheeny  Joe  is  busy  an'  me  owin' 
him  quite  a  little  bill,  I  have  to  make  good,  so  I  tells 
them  the  most  hair-raisin'  story  they  ever  listened  to. 
I  showed  'em  an  old  scar  on  my  left  leg  where  I  was  vac- 
cinated once,  and  told  'em  that's  where  they  shot  me 
with  a  bow  an*  arrer.  While  I  was  tellin'  my  story 
Sheeny  Joe  has  to  run  out  in  th'  back  yard  an'  roll 
over  three  times,  he's  that  fascinated  with  what  I'm 
tellin'  his  friends. 

"Did  them  fellers  eat  it  up?  They  did.  The  story 
comes  out  next  day  with  trimmin's  on  th'  front  page,  an' 
I'm  a  hero.  Of  course  me  an'  Sheeny  Joe  knows  I'm  a 
liar,  but  what's  a  lie  or  two  when  you're  helpin'  out  a 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  113 

shipmate?  But  anyhow,  the  whole  business  gives  me 
the  idee  I'm  lookin'  for,  an'  I  takes  all  three  mornin' 
papers  down  to  Bull  McGinty  an'  lets  him  read  'em. 

"  'Now,'  says  I,  when  Bull  is  through  readin',  'you 
have  a  sample  of  what  publicity  does  for  a  man.  I'm 
a  hero.  But  that  don't  outfit  the  schooner  Dashin9 
Wave.  A  man  don't  get  no  wages  as  a  hero,  Bull. 
Nevertheless/  says  I,  'I  have  invented  a  story  that 
will  bring  in  money,'  an'  I  tell  the  story  to  Bull.  I 
don't  leave  him  until  I  have  that  yarn  drilled  right  inter 
his  soul,  an'  then  I  call  on  Sheeny  Joe  an'  tell  him  to 
pass  the  word  to  all  of  his  reporter  friends  that  if  they 
want  a  good  story  to  go  down  to  Shanghai  Nelson's 
boardin'  house  an'  ask  for  Bull  McGinty,  skipper  o'  the 
schooner  Dashin9  Wave. 

"Did  they  come?  Mac,  they  came  a-runnin5.  The 
little  nosy  guy  with  the  hair  chartered  a  hack,  he  was 
in  such  a  hurry.  An'  when  they  arrive,  there  sits 
Bull  McGinty,  smilin'  an'  affable,  an'  he  spills  his  yarn 
as  easy  an'  graceful  an'  slick  as  a  mess  o'  eels.  There's 
a  island  in  the  Society  group,  says  Bull,  which  he  dis- 
covers on  his  last  trip,  an'  which  ain't  in  none  o'  the 
British  Admiralty  notes.  It's  a  regular  island,  with 
palms  an'  breadfruit  an'  tamarinds  an'  mangoes  an* 
such,  fine  an'  fertile,  fifteen  miles  around  the  middle, 
an'  plenty  o'  water.  But  th'  surprisin'  thing  about 
this  here  island  is  that  it  ain't  got  nothin'  livin'  on  it 
except  the  most  beautiful  women  in  all  the  South  Seas. 
Accordin'  to  Bull,  there  ain't  a  male  man  nowhere  on 
the  horizon.  Th'  men  has  been  fightin'  among  them- 
selves until  every  man  Jack  has  been  killed  off.  Noth- 
in' left  but  women  with  dreamy  eyes  an'  long  black  hair 


114  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

i 

an'  pearly  teeth.  'A  man,'  says  Bull  McGinty,  'is  at 
a  premium.  Over  fifteen  different  girls  fell  in  love 
with  him  before  he  was  ashore  ten  minutes,  an'  he  had  to 
pull  back  to  the  schooner  to  escape  'em.  At  that,  says 
Bull,  as  much  as  a  hundred  an'  twenty-seven  of  'em, 
as  near  as  he  could  count,  came  swimmin'  after  him  and 
chased  the  schooner  until  she  was  hull  down  on  the 
horizon,  an'  then  they  give  up  an'  swam  back  to  home, 
sobbin'  like  babies. 

"Bull  explains  that  he's  so  dead  stuck  on  the  place 
he's  goin'  back,  just  as  soon  as  he  can  get  together  say 
a  hundred  smart  young  lads  to  come  in  with  him  on  the 
lay,  outfit  his  schooner,  an'  get  to  sea.  Every  man  that 
wants  to  come  in  on  th'  deal  must  be  not  less  than 
twenty-one  years  old  and  not  more  than  thirty,  an' 
must  be  examined  by  a  doctor  to  see  that  he  ain't 
afflicted  with  no  contagious  sickness,  like  consumption, 
which  just  raises  fits  with  them  natives,  once  it  gets 
in  amongst  'em.  It's  Bull's  plan  to  start  a  ideal  col- 
ony, governed  on  new  an'  different  lines,  an'  every  man 
must  marry.  He  can  have  as  many  wives  as  he  can 
support  after  each  man  has  had  his  choice  of  the  herd. 
The  women  are  all  beautiful,  but  in  order  that  nobody 
will  have  a  kick  comin'  the  choice  of  wives  is  to  be  de- 
termined by  drawin'  lots.  The  island  is  to  be  fenced 
off  an9  each  member  o'  the  expedition  is  to  have  so  much 
land. 

"In  order  to  do  everything  shipshape,  Bull  explains 
that  he  has  formed  a  company  to  be  known  as  the 
Brotherhood  o'  the  South  Seas,  capitalized  for  two 
hundred  shares  at  $500  a  share.  Bull,  bein'  owner  o' 
th'  schooner,  an'  possessin'  the  secret  of  the  latitude  an' 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  115 

longitude  o'  the  island,  an'  bein'  the  movin  sperrit,  so 
to  speak,  declares  himself  in  on  fifty-one  per  cent,  o' 
the  capital  stock.  Stocksellin'  will  commence  just  as 
soon  as  the  printer  can  deliver  the  certificates. 

"In  the  course  of  a  somewhat  checkered  career, 
Mac,  I've  seen  some  suckers,  an'  I've  told  some  lies, 
but  this  here  was  th'  crownin'  event  of  my  life.  We 
had  applications  for  stock  the  next  morning  before  me 
an'  Bull  was  out  o'  bed.  Four  hundred  and  thirty- 
one  would-be  colonists  comes  flockin'  around  us,  tryin' 
to  hand  us  $500  each.  Bull  questions  'em  all  very 
closely,  and  outer  the  lot  he  selects  the  biggest  damn 
fools  in  evidence.  He  was  careful  to  select  little  skinny 
men  whenever  possible.  They  was  a  lot  o'  Willie 
boys  an'  young  bloods  lookin'  for  adventure,  an'  me 
an'  Bull  McGinty  was  just  the  lads  to  give  it  to  'em 
in  bucketfuls.  The  little  nosy  reporter  with  the  hair 
was  fair  crazy  to  come,  but  McGinty  gets  a  jackleg 
doctor  to  examine  him  an5  swear  that  he's  sufferin'  from 
spatulation  o'  the  medulla  oblongata,  housemaid's  knee, 
and  the  hives.  We're  mighty  sorry,  but  it's  agin  the 
by-laws  to  bring  him  along.  He  felt  heartbroken,  so 
just  before  we  up  hook  with  the  expedition,  I  had  Bull 
give  him  an'  the  other  newspaper  boys  a  hundred  dollars 
each.  They  was  fine  lads,  all  three,  an'  give  us  lots 
o'  free  advertisin'. 

"Bull  got  greedy  an5  was  for  charterin*  another 
schooner  an'  givin'  all  comers  a  run  for  their  money, 
but  I  was  wise  enough  to  see  the  danger  o'  numbers, 
an'  argued  him  out  of  it.  I  went  mate  on  the  Dashin9 
Wave,  as  per  program,  an'  on  a  lovely  summer  day  we 
towed  out,  with  half  San  Francisco  crowdin'  the  wharves 


116  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

an'  wishin'  us  bon  voyage,  which  is  French  for  a  profit- 
able trip. 

"We  had  a  nice  lot  o'  sick  children  on  our  hands  be- 
fore we  was  over  th'  Potato  Patch.  We  didn't  have  a 
regular  crew,  exceptin'  Bull  McGinty  an'  me  an'  the 
Chinaman  who  shipped  as  cook.  However,  some  of 
the  brotherhood  used  to  go  yachting,  an'  they  was  all 
the  crew  we  needed.  We  had  a  fair  run  to  Honolulu, 
where  we  took  on  five  thousand  dollars  in  trade — beads, 
an'  mouth  organs,  an'  calico,  an'  juice  harps,  an'  dollar 
watches,  an'  a  lot  of  old  army  revolvers  with  the  firin' 
pins  filed  off,  and  what  not. 

"From  Honolulu,  we  clears  for  Pago  Pago,  where  all 
hands  went  ashore  an'  enjoyed  themselves  visitin'  the 
different  points  o'  interest.  From  Pago  Pago,  we  goes 
to  Tahiti,  and  from  Tahiti  to  Suva,  and  in  general  gives 
them  adventurers  as  nice  a  little  summer  vacation  as 
they  could  have  wished  for.  Bull  was  for  dumpin' 
the  lot  at  Suva  an'  gettin'  down  to  business — said  he'd 
fooled  away  enough  time  on  the  gang — but  I  argued 
that  we'd  took  their  money — $50,000  of,  it,  and  they 
was  entitled  to  some  kind  of  a  run,  an'  if  we  marooned 
them,  like  as  not  they'd  send  a  gunboat  after  us, 
an'  the  fat'd  be  in  the  fire.  Bull  gave  in  to  me  finally, 
though  he  growled  a  lot  about  the  profits  bein'  all  et 
up  by  the  brotherhood,  appetites  increasin'  consider- 
able at  sea,  an'  all  that. 

"Just  after  we  leave  Suva  we  butts  into  a  mild  little 
typhoon,  an'  Bull  scuds  before  it  under  bare  poles,  with 
just  a  wisp  o'  a  jib  to  steady  her.  An'  when  the  brother- 
hood was  pea-green  with  seasickness  I  goes  down  into 
the  bilges  with  a  big  auger  an'  scuttles  the  ship.  In 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  117 

about  two  hours  the  brother  at  the  wheel  begins  to 
complain  that  she's  heavy  an'  draggin'  like  blazes,  an* 
he  fears  maybe  her  seams  has  opened  up  under  the 
strain. 

"'I  shouldn't  wonder  a  bit,'  says  Bull  McGinty, 
'she's  been  jumpin'  like  a  dolphin',  and  he  goes  below 
to  investigate.  Two  minutes  later  he  prances  up  on 
deck  like  a  lunatic. 

"'All  hands  to  the  pumps,'  he  yells;  'there's  four  feet 
o'  water  in  the  hold.'  Aside  he  says  to  me,  'Gib,  my 
boy,  you're  a  jewel.  Not  a  drop  of  water  in  that  for- 
ward compartment  where  we  piled  the  trade.' 

"  It  was  a  terrible  sad  sight  to  see  the  seasick  Brother- 
hood of  the  South  Seas  staggerin'  below  to  the  pumps. 
We  had  four  pumps,  an'  f eelin'  that  they  might  be  able 
to  pump  her  dry  too  soon,  I  had  removed  the  suction 
leather  from  two  of  them.  What  a  howl  went  up  when 
Bull  McGinty,  roarin'  like  a  sea  lion,  announces  that  all 
hands  is  doomed,  because  two  of  the  pumps  is  nix  com- 
arous!  Just  about  that  time  we  ships  a  sea  or  two, 
and  all  hands  lets  go  the  pumps  and  starts  to  pray  or 
weep  or  whatever  they  was  minded  to  do  under  the 
circumstances.  In  the  general  excitement  I  slips  be- 
low an'  plugs  up  one  hole,  an'  forces  two  men,  at  the 
point  of  a  revolver  that  wasn't  loaded,  to  pump  ship. 
They  just  managed  to  hold  the  water  level,  while  up 
on  deck  Bull  is  tearin'  his  hair  an'  cursin'  somethin' 
frightful. 

"Well,  Mac,  we  kept  that  thing  up  for  two  days  an' 
two  nights,  while  the  gale  lasted,  an'  when  we  finally 
gets  under  the  lee  of  an  island,  all  hands  are  for  throw- 
in'  up  the  sponge  an'  goin'  back  home.  Somehow  or 


118  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

other,  the  expedition  don't  look  so  enticin'  as  it  did  at 
first.  We  cleared  away  both  whaleboats  and  landed 
the  brotherhood  on  the  island,  where  there  was  a 
wharf  an'  a  big  tradin'  station.  I  forget  what  they 
call  the  place,  but  steamers  touch  there  regular.  Me 
an*  Bull  McGinty  and  the  Chinaman  stayed  aboard, 
pumped  out  the  ship,  fixed  the  pumps,  and  plugged  the 
holes  in  her  bottom  so  nobody  could  find  out.  Then 
we  figures  out  the  price  of  a  passage  back  to  Frisco, 
second-class,  for  the  whole  bunch,  an'  me  an'  Bull  goes 
ashore  with  a  big  sack  of  Chili  dollars  an'  fixes  it  up 
with  all  hands  to  let  go  an'  call  it  square  for  the  ticket 
home.  They  wasn't  feelin'  as  sore  as  much  as  you 
might  imagine.  None  o'  them  had  the  brains  or  the 
spunk  of  a  mouse,  and  besides  we'd  give  them  a  mighty 
good  time  of  it,  all  things  considered.  So,  to  make  a 
long  story  short,  we  picks  up  a  crew  of  half  a  dozen 
black  boys,  pulls  the  two  whaleboats  back  to  the  ship, 
ups  hook  and  sails  away  on  our  legitimate  business. 
We  divides  the  spoils  between  us,  an'  my  share  is  eleven 
thousand  cash  an'  a  half  interest  in  th'  trade. 

"We  do  a  nice  business  in  shell  an'  copra,  an'  such, 
an5  in  Papeete  we  sell  our  cargo  to  a  Jew  trader  an* 
clean  up  fifteen  hundred  each  additional  on  the  voyage, 
after  which  Bull  declares  he's  tired  of  huckster-in* 
around  like  any  bloomin'  peddler,  an'  we  make  up  our 
minds  to  do  a  little  blackbirdin'. 

"Was  you  ever  a  blackbirder,  McGuffey?  No? 
Well,  you  didn't  miss  nothin'.  It's  dirty  business. 
You  drop  in  at  a  island,  an'  you  invite  the  native  chief 
aboard  an'  get  him  drunk,  and  make  a  contract  with 
him  for  so  many  blackbirds  to  work  for  three  years  on 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  119 

some  other  island,  or  on  the  coffee  or  henequen  planta- 
tions in  Central  America,  and  you  promise  them  big 
money  and  lots  of  tobacco,  and  a  free  trip  back  when 
their  time  is  up.  What  labour  you  can't  get  by  dealin' 
with  the  chief,  you  shanghai  'em,  and  once  in  a  while 
you  can  make  a  bully  good  deal,  particularly  in  the 
New  Hebrides  and  New  Guinea,  after  a  fight  when 
they  have  a  lot  of  prisoners  on  hand  which  they're  goin' 
to  eat  until  you  come  along  an'  buy  'em  for  a  stick  o' 
tobacco. 

"It  ain't  no  fun,  blackbirdin',  McGuffey.  After 
you've  got  'em  aboard,  they  may  take  a  notion  to  jump 
overboard  and  swim  back,  so  you  get  'em  down  below 
an'  clap  the  hatches  on  'em  until  you're  out  of  sight 
o'  land,  an'  the  beggars  howl  an'  there's  hell  to  pay. 

"Me  an'  Bull  McGinty  headed  for  the  Gilberts  that 
first  trip,  an'  managed  to  pick  up  a  fair  consignment  of 
labour.  We  touched  in  at  Nonuti  the  very  last  place, 
which,  as  I  says,  is  on  the  island  o'  Aranuka,  right  under 
the  Hakatuea  volcano.  There  was  some  strappin'  big 
buck  native  niggers  there  that  would  fetch  $300  a  head 
Mex,  an'  so  me  an'  Bull  goes  ashore  to  pow-wow  with 
the  chief.  He  was  a  fat  old  boy  named  Poui-Slam- 
Bang,  or  some  such  name,  an'  he  received  us  as  nice  as 
you  please.  Me  an'  Bull  rubbed  noses  with  Poui-Slam- 
Bang  an'  all  the  head  men,  and  they  give  a  big  feed  in 
our  honour.  Roast  pig  an'  roast  duck  an'  stewed  chicken 
an'  all  the  tropical  trimmin's  we  had,  Mac,  including  a 
little  barrel  o'  furniture  polish  that  Bull  brought  ashore, 
labelled  Three  Star  Hennessy  on  the  outside  an'  Three 
Ply  Deviltry  inside. 

"While  we  was  at  the  feast,  with  everybody  squattin* 


120  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

around  on  their  hind  legs,  pokin'  their  mits  into  a  big 
wooden  bowl,  Poui-Slam-Bang  pipes  up  his  only  daugh- 
ter, a  lovely  wench  about  seventeen  years  old  with  a 
name  that  nobody  can  pronounce.  I  call  her  Pinky, 
and  of  all  the  women  I  ever  meets,  black,  white,  brown, 
red,  or  yellow,  this  Pinky  is  the  loveliest,  and  has  'em  all 
hull  down.  She's  wearin'  a  palm  leaf  petticoat  and  a 
string  o'  shark's  teeth  around  her  neck  with  an  empty 
sardine  box  for  a  pendant.  She  has  flowers  in  her  hair, 
which  is  braided  in  pig-tails,  different  from  the  other 
girls.  Her  eyes — McGuffey,  them  eyes!  Like  a  pair  of 
fireflies  floatin'  in  sorghum.  And  as  she  stands  there 
working  her  toes  hi  th'  sand,  she  never  takes  her  eyes 
off  them  fine  red  whiskers  o'  mine. 

"Bull  gives  her  a  cigar,  and  it's  plain  that  he's  taken 
with  her,  but  she  never  so  much  as  looks  at  Bull.  My 
whiskers  has  done  the  trick — so  bimeby,  when  all  hands 
is  feeling  jolly,  including  me  an'  McGinty,  I  sidles  up 
to  Pinky  an'  sorter  gives  her  to  understand  that  she 
wouldn't  have  to  clap  me  in  irons  to  fondle  them  red 
whiskers  o'  mine.  She  sticks  a  flower  in  them,  Mac, 
s'help  me,  and  then  giggles  foolish  an5  ducks  into  the 
bush. 

"Well,  we  rigs  up  a  deal  with  Poui-Slam-Bang  and 
next  afternoon  stand  out  for  the  entrance  with  forty 
odd  head  of  labour  in  excess  of  what  we  had  when  we 
arrived.  We'd  cleared  the  reef,  and  was  comin'  about 
around  Hakatuea  Head,  when  what  d'ye  suppose  we 
sight?  Nothin'  more  or  less  than  Miss  Pinky  Poui- 
Slam-Bang  swimmin'  right  across  our  bows.  She  was 
more  than  a  mile  out  an'  comin'  like  a  shark,  hand  over 
hand.  Before  I  could  yell  to  the  boy  at  the  wheel  to 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

luff  up,  so  we  wouldn't  run  the  girl  down,  we  was  right 
on  top  of  her. 

:"  'They '11  have  to  revise  the  census  of  Aranuka,'  says 
Bull  McGinty.  'I  do  believe  we  hit  that  girl  an'  drove 
her  under.' 

"We  was  both  rubberin'  astern  an'  to  starboard  an' 
port,  but  not  a  sign  o'  the  girl  do  we  see.  I  got  out  nay 
glasses  an'  searched  around  for  full  half  an  hour,  an'  by 
that  time  we  was  five  miles  out  to  sea,  and  it  wasn't  no 
use  lookin'  any  more,  an'  besides  I  had  work  to  attend  to. 
,"We  sailed  along  all  the  afternoon,  over  a  sea  as 
smooth  as  a  dance-hall  floor.  Along  about  sunset  I 
was  up  on  the  fo'castle  head  singin'  'Nancy  Brown' 
when  who  should  pop  up  onto  the  bowsprit  but  Pinky. 
She  sat  there  a  minute  danglin'  her  legs  an'  smilin'  an' 
s'help  me,  Mac,  if  it  hadn't  been  daylight  still,  I'd  a- 
swore  she  was  a  sperrit.  I  jumped  two  feet  in  the  air 
an'  came  down  with  my  mouth  open.  Pinky  hops  up 
on  the  bowsprit,  and  runs  along  to  the  fo'castle  head, 
an'  then  I  seen  she  was  real.  The  little  cuss!  She'd 
swung  herself  up  into  the  martingale,  an'  there  she'd 
squatted  all  the  afternoon  until  we  was  out  o'  sight  o' 
land.  Of  course,  she  got  a  ducking  every  few  minutes, 
but  what's  a  duckin'  to  them  kind  o'  people? 

"I  grabs  hold  o'  Pinky,  mighty  glad  to  know  we 
hadn't  killed  her,  and  brings  her  before  Bull  McGinty. 

"'She's  in  love  with  some  one  of  these  black  bucks 
aboard,' says  Bull.  "That's  why  she's  followed.  Isn't 
she  the  likely  lookin'  wench,  Gib?  I  do  believe  I'll " 

"  'No,  you  won't  do  no  such  thing,  Bull,'  says  I.  'The 
fact  o'  the  matter  is  the  girl's  in  love  with  me,  an'  if  any- 
body's to  have  her  it'll  be  Adelbert  P.  Gibney.' 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"'I'm  not  so  sure  o'  that,  Gib,'  says  Bull  McGinty. 
"I'm  skipper  here/ 

"'Well,  I'm  mate,'  says  I,  'with  a  half  interest  in  this 
expedition.' 

"Til  fight  you  for  her,'  says  Bull  very  pleasantly. 

"'No,'  says  I,  'I'm  opposed  t'  fightin'  a  shipmate 
under  such  circumstances,  and  moreover  we're  the  only 
two  white  men  aboard,  an'  if  we  fight  I  think  I'll  kill 
you,  an'  then  I'd  be  lonesome.  As  a  compromise,  I'll 
tell  you  what  we'll  do.  We'll  give  Pinky  the  freedom 
o'  the  ship,  an'  me  an'  you'll  have  a  cribbage  tourna- 
ment from  now  until  we  drop  anchor  at  Santa  Maria  del 
Pilar  (that's  a  dog  hole  on  the  Guatemala  coast) .  We'll 
play  every  chance  we  get,  an'  the  lad  that's  ahead  when 
we  let  go  the  anchor  at  Santa  Maria  del  Pilar  gets  Pinky/ 

"  'Fair  enough,'  says  Bull,  'an'  here's  my  hand  on  it/ 

"We  had  a  smart  passage  o'  fifteen  days,  and  in  that 
time  me  an'  Bull  McGinty  plays  just  one  hundred  and 
eighteen  games.  We  had  to  quit  in  the  middle  o'  the 
last,  with  the  score  fifty-eight  games  to  fifty-nine  in 
Bull's  favour,  in  order  to  let  go  the  anchor  at  Santa  Maria 
del  Pilar.  While  we  was  up  on  deck,  what  do  you  sup- 
pose Pinky  goes  and  does?  She  slips  down  to  the  cabin 
and  fudges  my  peg  three  holes  ahead.  It  seems  that 
Bull,  who  talked  the  island  lingo,  has  been  braggin' 
to  her  an'  tellin'  her  what  we've  been  up  to.  The  min- 
ute we  have  the  anchor  down,  me  an'  Bull  returns  to 
the  game.  It's  nip  an'  tuck  to  the  finish  an'  I  win  by 
one  point,  Bull  dyin'  in  the  last  hole,  which  makes  the 
thing  a  draw. 

"Says  I  to  Bull  McGinty:  'Bull,  we  can't  both  have 
her/ 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIEATES  123 

"Says  Bull  to  me:  'I  hereby  declare  this  tournament 
no  contest,  an'  move  that  we  sell  the  lady  with  the  rest 
o'  the  herd,  an'  no  hard  feelin's  between  shipmates.' 

"Nothin'  could  be  fairer  than  that  an'  I  tells  Bull  I'm 
willin'.  So  we  sold  Pinky  for  $200  Mex  to  Don  Luiz 
Miguel  y  Oreiia,  an'  sailed  away  for  another  flock  o' 
blackbirds. 

"We  had  busy  times  for  the  next  six  months  until 
we  found  ourselves  back  at  Santa  Maria  del  Pilar  with 
another  cargo  of  savages.  But  all  that  time  I'd  been 
feelin'  a  little  sneaky  on  account  o'  sellin'  Pinky,  an* 
as  soon  as  we  dropped  anchor  I  had  the  boys  pull  me 
ashore,  an*  I  chartered  a  white  mule  an'  shapes  my 
course  for  the  hacienda  of  this  Don  Luiz  Miguel  y 
Oreiia.  I  was  minded  to  see  how  Pinky  was  gettin'  on. 

"It  was  comin'  on  dusk  when  I  rides  into  Orena's 
place,  an'  all  th'  hands  was  just  in  from  the  fields.  The 
labour  shacks  was  built  in  a  kind  of  square  along  with  the 
warehouses,  an'  in  the  centre  o'  this  square  was  a  snub- 
bin'  post,  with  bull  rings,  an'  hangin'  to" this  snubbin' 
post,  with  her  hands  triced  up  to  the  bull  rings,  was 
Pinky  Poui-Slam-Bang  with  a  little  Colorado  claro 
man  standing  off  swingin'  a  rope's  end  on  poor  little 
Pinky's  bare  back. 

"I'm  not  what  you'd  call  a  patient  man,  McGuffey, 
an'  bein'  o'  th'  sea  and  not  used  to  ridin'  horses,  not  to 
speak  o'  white  mules,  I  was  sore  in  more  ways  than  one. 
I  luffs  up  alongside  o'  this  dry  land  bo'sum  an'  punches 
once.  Then  I  jumps  off  my  white  mule,  takes  the 
swab  by  the  heels,  an'  chucks  him  over  the  warehouse^ 
into  a  cactus  bush.  Don  Orena  was  there  an9  he  makes 
objections  to  me  gettin'  fresh  with  his  help  so,  I  tucks 


124  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

Don  Orena  under  my  arm,  lays  him  acrosst  my  knee, 
and  gives  him  a  taste  o'  th'  rope's  end.  He  hollers 
murder,  but  I  bats  him  around  until  he  can't  let  out 
another  peep,  after  which  I  grabs  a  machete  that's 
handy  an'  chases  the  entire  male  population  into  the 
jungle.  When  I  gets  back,  Pinky  is  hanging  to  the 
bull  rings,  about  dead.  I  cuts  her  down,  swings  her  on 
th'  mule,  an*  makes  for  the  coast.  We  was  aboard  th' 
Dashin  Wave  next  mornin'. 

"Bull  was  settin'  up  on  top  o'  th'  house  eatin'  an 
orange  when  me  an'  Pinky  comes  over  th'  rail. 

16  'Bull  McGinty'  says  I,  'you're  a  sea  captain.  Come 
down  off  that  house  an'  marry  me  to  Pinky  Poui-Slam- 
Bang.' 

"With  pleasure/  says  Bull,  an'  he  done  it,  announcin' 
us  man  an'  wife  by  all  th'  rules  an'  regulations  o'  th' 
Department  o'  Commerce  an'  Labour,  th'  Dashin9  Wave 
being  registered  under  th'  American  flag. 

"Six  weeks  later  I  sets  Pinky  down  on  the  beach  at 
Nonuti,  an'  we  both  go  up  to  her  old  man's  shack  for  the 
parental  blessin'.  I  expected  Poui-Slam-Bang  would 
slaughter  th'  roasted  hog  upon  th'  prodigal's  return, 
but  come  t'  find  out,  the  old  boy's  been  took  in  a  scrap 
with  one  o'  the  hill  tribes,  an'  speculation's  rife  as  to  his 
final  disposition.  Pinky  allows  that  pa's  been  et  up, 
an'  she  havin'  no  brothers  is  by  all  the  rules  o'  the  game 
queen  o'  Aranuka.  Of  course,  me  bein'  her  husband, 
I'm  king.  You  can't  get  around  my  rights  to  the  job 
nohow.  For  all  that  Pinky  stands  in  with  me,  how- 
ever, a  big  wild-eyed  beggar  makes  up  his  mind  that 
he'll  make  a  better  king  than  Adelbert  P.  Gibney,  an' 
he  comes  at  me  with  a  four-foot  war  club,  with  two 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  125 

spikes  drove  crosswise  through  the  business  end  o'  it. 
As  he  swings,  I  soaks  him  between  the  eyes  with  a  ripe 
breadfruit,  with  the  result  that  his  aim's  spoiled  an'  he 
misses.  So  I  took  his  club  away  an5  hugged  him  until 
I  broke  three  ribs,  an*  he  was  always  good  after  that. 
I  wanted  t'  be  king,  but  I  didn't  believe  in  sheddin'  no 
blood  for  the  mere  sake  of  office. 

"Well,  McGuffey,  I  was  king  of  Aranuka  for  nearly 
six  months.  I  was  a  popular  king,  too,  an'  there  was 
never  no  belly-achin'  at  my  decisions.  I  had  a  double- 
barrelled  muzzle-loadin'  shotgun,  a  present  from  Bull 
McGinty.  Bull  was  all  broke  up  at  me  desertin'  the 
Dashin'  Wave,  but  I  promised  to  save  all  the  Aranuka 
trade  for  him  an'  for  nobody  else,  an'  he  stood  off  for 
Suva  to  get  himself  another  mate. 

"At  first  it  was  great  business  bein'  king,  an'  I  en- 
joyed it.  I  learned  Pinky  to  speak  a  little  English  an' 
she  learned  me  her  lingo,  an'  we  got  along  mighty  fine. 
Pinky  would  lay  awake  nights,  snoopin'  around  listenin' 
to  what  the  rest  o'  the  gang  had  to  say  about  me,  and 
twice  she  put  me  wise  to  uprisin's  that  threatened  my 
throne.  I  used  to  get  the  ring  leaders  in  my  arms  an' 
hug  'em,  an'  after  one  hug  from  Adelbert  P.  Gibney  in 
them  days 

"Well,  as  I  was  sayin',  it  was  nice  enough  until  the 
novelty  wore  off,  an'  there  was  nothin'  to  do  that  I 
hadn't  done  twenty  times  before.  I  thought  some  o' 
goin'  to  war  with  the  wild  niggers  in  the  hills,  an*  aveng- 
in'  my  father-in-law's  death,  but  I  couldn't  get  my 
army  more  than  three  miles  inland,  so  I  had  to  give  that 
up.  Before  three  months  had  passed  I  wanted  to  ab- 
dicate the  worst  way.  I  wanted  to  tread  a  deck  again, 


126  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

an*  rove  around  with  Bull  McGinty.  I  wanted  th* 
smell  o'  the  open  sea  an'  th'  heave  o'  th'  Dashin9  Wave 
underfoot.  I  was  tired  o'  breadfruit  an'  guavas  an' 
cocoanuts  an'  all  th'  rest  o'  th'  blasted  grub  that  Pinky 
was  feedin'  me,  an'  most  of  all  I  was  gettin'  tired  o' 
Pinky.  She  would  put  cocoanut  oil  in  her  hair.  Yet 
(here  Mr.  Gibney's  voice  vibrated  with  emotion  as  he 
conjured  up  these  memories  of  his  lurid  past)  it  never 
occurred  to  me,  at  the  time,  I  was  that  young  an'  fool- 
ish, that  she  was  doin'  it  for  me.  She  was  as  beautiful 
as  ever,  an'  Gawd  knows  nobody  but  a  fool  would  get 
tired  o'  such  a  fine  woman,  every  inch  a  queen,  but  I  was 
just  that  foolish. 

"I  got  so  lonesome  I  wouldn't  eat.  I  wished  Mc- 
Ginty would  show  up  an'  relieve  me  of  my  kingship.  An' 
one  night  sure  enough  he  came.  It  was  moonlight — 
you've  been  in  the  tropics,  McGuffey,  you  know  what 
real  moonlight  is — an'  I  was  lyin'  out  on  th'  edge  of 
Hakatuea  overlookin'  the  beach.  I'd  spotted  a  sail 
at  sunset  an'  somethin'  told  me  it  was  the  Dashin9 
Wave.  Pinky  was  with  me,  rubbin  my  head  an'  braid- 
in'  my  whiskers  an'  cooin'  over  me  like  a  baby,  as  happy 
as  any  woman  could  be. 

"Along  about  ten  o'clock,  I  should  say,  here  comes 
the  Dashin9  Wave  around  the  headland.  I  could  see  her 
luff  up  an'  come  about  with  her  bow  headed  straight 
for  the  entrance  between  the  reefs,  an'  th'  water  purlin' 
under  her  forefoot.  Everything  was  as  still  as  the 
grave,  an'  only  the  surf  was  swishin'  up  th'  beach  sob- 
bin'  'Peace!  Peace!'  and  there  wasn't  no  peace  for 
King  Gibney.  Pretty  soon  I  heard  the  creak  of  the 
blocks  an'  the  smash  o'  th'  mast  hoops  as  th'  mains'! 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  127 

came  flutterin'  down — then  th'  sound  o'  the  cable 
rushin'  through  the  hawse-pipes  as  her  hook  took  bot- 
tom. In  the  moonlight  I  could  see  Bull  McGinty 
standin'  by  the  port  mizzen  shrouds  with  a  megaphone 
up  to  his  face,  and  his  voice  comes  up  to  me  like  the 
bugle  blast  of  Kingdom  Come. 

"'O,Gib!    Are  you  there?5 

"'Aye,  aye,  sir/ 

"  'Have  ye  et  your  full  o'  th'  lotus? '  says  Bull. 

"'Hard  tack  an'  salt  horse  for  King  Gibney,'  I  yells 
back.  *I  ain't  no  vegetarian  no  more,  Bull.  Do  you 
need  a  smart  mate?' 

"I  could  hear  Bull  McGinty  chucklin'  to  himself. 

"  'You  young  whelp,'  says  Bull.  'I  knew  you'd  out- 
grow it.  They  all  do,  when  they're  as  young  as  you. 
I'll  send  the  whaleboat  ashore.  Kiss  Pinky  good-bye 
for  me,  too,'  he  adds. 

"  Two  minutes  later  I  heard  the  boat  splash  over  the 
stern  davits  an'  the  black  boys  raisin'  a  song  as  they 
lay  to  their  work.  I  turns  to  Pinky,  takes  her  in  my 
arms  an'  kisses  her  for  the  first  time  in  three  weeks,  an* 
she  knows  that  th'  jig  is  up.  She  might  'a'  slipped  a  dirk 
in  me,  but  she  wasn't  that  kind.  Women  is  women, 
McGuffey,  the  world  over.  Pinky  just  kissed  me  half 
a  hundred  times  an'  cries  a  little,  holdin'  on  to  me  all 
th'  time,  for  naturally  she  don't  like  to  see  me  go.  Fi- 
nally I  have  to  make  her  break  loose,  an'  I  climbs  down 
over  the  bluff  an'  wades  out  to  my  waist  to  meet  the 
boat.  I  was  aboard  th'  Dashin*  Wave  in  two  twos, 
shakin*  hands  with  Bull  McGinty,  an'  ten  minutes  later 
we  had  th'  anchor  up  an'  th'  sails  shook  out,  an'  standin' 
off  for  the  open  sea.  An'  the  last  I  ever  saw  of  Mrs. 


128  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

Pinky  Gibney  was  a  shadowy  figger  in  th'  moonlight 
standin'  out  on  th'  edge  o'  Hakatuea  Head.  The  last 
I  hear  of  her  was  a  sob." 

Mr.  Gibney 's  voice  was  a  trifle  husky  as  he  concluded 
his  tale.  He  opened  and  closed  his  clasp  knife  and  was 
silent  for  several  minutes.  Presently  he  sighed. 

"When  a  feller's  young,  he  never  stops  to  think  o' 
th'  hurt  he  does,"  continued  the  erstwhile  king  of 
Aranuka.  "  Sometimes  I  lay  awake  at  nights  an'  won- 
der whatever  became  o'  Pinky.  I  can  see  her  yet, 
standin'  in  th'  moonlight,  as  fine  a  figger  o'  a  woman  as 
ever  lived.  Savage  or  no  savage,  she  was  true  an'  beau- 
tiful, an*  I  was  a  mighty  dirty  dawg."  Mr.  Gibney 
wiped  away  a  suspicious  moisture  in  his  eyes  and  blew 
his  nose  unnecessarily  hard. 

"You  was,"  coincided  McGuffey.  "You  was  all  o' 
that.  What  became  o'  Bull  McGinty  ?  " 

"He  married  a  sugar  plantation  in  Maui.  He's  all 
right  for  the  rest  o'  his  life.  An'  as  for  me  as  gave  him 
his  start,  look  at  me.  Ain't  I  a  sight?  Here  I  am, 
forty-two  years  old  an5  only  a  thousand  dollars  in  my 
pocket.  Instead  of  bein'  master  of  a  clipper  ship,  I'm 
mate  on  a  dirty  little  bumboat.  I  fall  asleep  on  deck 
an'  dream  an'  somethin'  drops  on  my  face  an'  wakes  me 
up.  Is  it  a  breadfruit,  Mac?  It  is  not.  It's  a  head  of 
cabbage.  I  grab  something  to  throw  at  Scraggs's  cat. 
Is  it  a  ripe  mango?  No,  it's  a  artichoke.  In  fancy 
I  go  to  split  open  a  milk  cocoanut.  What  happens? 
I  slash  my  thumb  on  a  can  o'  condensed  cream.  In- 
stead o'  th'  Island  trade,  I'm  runnin'  in  th'  green-pea 
trade,  twenty  miles  of  coast,  freightin'  garden  truck! 
My  Gawd!" 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  129 

Mr.  Gibney  stood  up  and  dusted  the  seat  of  his  new 
suit.  He  was  dry  after  his  long  recital  and  Captain 
Scraggs  was  too  long  putting  in  an  appearance,  so  he 
decided  not  to  wait  for  him.  "Let's  go  an'  stow  away  a 
glass  of  beer,"  he  suggested  to  McGuffey.  "I'm 
thirstier 'n  a  camel." 

McGuffey  was  willing  so  they  left  the  bulkhead  for 
the  more  convivial  shelter  of  the  Bowhead  saloon. 


CHAPTER  XV 

HAD  either  Gibney  or  McGuffey  glanced  back  as 
they  headed  for  their  haven  of  forgetfulness 
they  might  have  seen  Captain  Scraggs  poking 
his  fox  face  up  over  the  edge  of  a  tier  of  potato  boxes 
piled  on  the  bulkhead  not  six  feet  from  where  Gibney 
and  McGuffey  had  been  sitting.  Upon  his  return  to 
the  Maggie,  about  the  time  Mr.  Gibney  commenced 
spinning  his  yarn,  he  had  almost  walked  into  the  worthy 
pair,  and,  wishing  to  avoid  the  jeers  and  jibes  he  felt 
impending,  he  had  merely  stepped  aside  and  hidden 
behind  the  potato  boxes  in  order  to  eavesdrop  on  their 
plans,  if  possible.  Had  Mr.  Gibney  been  less  inter- 
ested in  his  past  or  Mr.  McGuffey  less  interested  in  the 
recital  of  that  past  they  would  have  seen  Scraggs. 

The  owner  of  the  Maggie  shook  his  fist  in  impotent 
rage  at  their  retreating  backs.  "You  think  you've 
suffered  before,"  he  snarled.  "But  I'll  make  you  suffer 
some  more,  you  big  brute.  I'll  hurt  you  worse  than  if 
I  caved  in  your  head  with  a  belay  in'  pin.  I'll  break 
your  heart,  that's  what  I'll  do  to  you.  You  wait." 

In  the  course  of  an  hour  Gibney  and  McGuffey  re- 
turned, and  Scraggs  met  them  as  they  leaped  down  on  to 
the  deck  of  the  Maggie.  "Gentlemen,"  he  remarked — 
"an'  at  that  I'm  givin*  you  two  all  the  best  of  it,  even  if 
you  two  have  got  a  quit-claim  deed  that  you  ain't  pi- 
rates— I  wish  to  announce  that  if  you  two  have  come 

130 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  131 

aboard  my  ship  for  the  puppose  o*  havin'  a  little  fun 
at  my  expense,  I'm  a-goin'  to  call  the  police  an'  have 
you  arrested  for  disturbin'  the  peace.  On  the  other 
hand  an'  futher,  if  your  mission's  a  peaceful  one,  you're 
welcome  aboard  the  Maggie.  I  may  have  a  temper  an' 
say  things  that  sounds  mighty  harsh  when  I'm  het 
up,  but  in  my  calmer  moments  my  natural  inclination 
is  to  be  a  sport." 

"Scraggsy,  old  hard-luck,"  Mr.  Gibney  boomed, 
"we  won  so  we  can  afford  to  be  generous  in  victory. 
Like  you,  me  an'  Mac  is  inclined  to  be  uppish  at  times, 
particularly  in  the  hour  of  triumph,  an'  say  an'  do 
things  we're  apt  to  be  ashamed  of  later." 

"Them's  my  sentiments,"  McGuffey  chimed  in. 

"We  ain't  comin'  aboard  to  beg  you  for  no  job,"  Mr. 
Gibney  warned.  "Git  that  idea  out  o'  your  head — if 
you  got  it  there.  Me  an'  Bart  each  got  close  to  a 
thousand  dollars  in  bank  this  minute  an'  we're  as  free 
an'  independent  as  two  hogs  walkin'  on  ice.  Any  ol' 
time  we  can't  stand  up  we  can  set  down." 

Captain  Scraggs  was  frankly  mystified.  "If  you 
two  got  a  thousand  dollars  each  in  bank — an*  I  ain't 
disputin'  it,  for  I  hear  on  good  authority  you  got  that 
much  for  salvin'  the  Chesapeake — what're  you  hangin* 
around  the  Maggie  for?" 

Mr.  Gibney  approached  and  placed  his  great  right 
arm  fraternally  across  Scraggs's  skinny  shoulder.  Mr. 
McGuffey  performed  a  similar  office  with  his  brawny 
left,  and  Captain  Scraggs  looked  apprehensive,  like  a 
man  who  is  about  to  be  kissed  by  another  in  public. 

"Scraggsy,  when  all  is  lovely  an'  the  goose  honks 
high,  it's  our  great  American  privilege  to  fight  like  bear- 


132  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

cats  if  we  feel  that  way  about  it.  But  when  misfortune 
descends  on  one  of  us,  like  a  topmast  in  a  typhoon,  it's 
time  to  stop  bickerin'.  Me  an'  Bart,  driftin'  along  the 
docks  for  a  constitootional  this  mornin',  bears  the 
sorrerful  tidin's  that  your  new  navigatin'  officer  an' 
your  new  engineer  has  quit.  Judgin'  from  that  shanty 
on  your  left  eye,  at  least  one  of  'em  quit  under  protest. 
Immediately,  Scraggsy,  me  an'  Mac  decided  you 
might  hate  our  innards  but  just  the  same  you  needed 
us  in  your  business.  Consequently,  we're  here  to  help 
you  if  you'll  let  us  an'  for  not  another  durned  reason 
hi  the  world." 

"There's  four  alleeged  mechanics  down  in  the  engine 
room  loafin'  on  the  job  an'  gettin'  ready  to  soak  you  a 
dollar  an'  a  half  an  hour  overtime  to-night  an'  Sunday," 
McGuffey  informed  the  skipper.  "An*  that  hurts  me. 
I  don't  mind  takin'  a  poke  at  you  myself  but  I'll  be 
shot  if  I'll  stand  idly  by  an'  see  somebody  else  do  it. 
With  your  kind  permission,  Scraggs,  I'll  climb  into  my 
dungarees  an'  make  things  hum  in  that  engine  room." 

Captain  Scraggs  was  truly  affected.  His  weak  chin 
trembled  and  tears  came  to  his  little  mean  green  eyes. 
He  could  not  speak;  so  Mr.  Gibney  hugged  him  and 
patted  him  on  the  back  and  told  him  he  was  a  good  fel- 
low away  down  low,  if  the  truth  were  only  known; 
whereat  Captain  Scraggs  commenced  to  sob  aloud. 
McGuffey  coughed  and  tears  as  big  as  marbles  cas- 
caded down  the  honest  Gibney's  rubicund  counte- 
nance. 

"I  ain't  wuth  your  sympathy  after  the  way  I  treated 
you,"  Captain  Scraggs  cried  brokenly. 

"Sket  up,  you  little  bum,"  Mr.  Gibney  cried  furi- 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  133 

ously.  "Or  I'll  bang  you  in  that  other  eye  that's 
ready  for  bangin'." 

"If  you're  shy  a  few  bucks "  McGuffey  began. 

"I  am,"  Captain  Scraggs  wailed.  "I'm  worried  to 
death.  I  don't  know  how  I'm  ever  goin'  to  pay  for 
that  bloody  boiler  an'  git  to  sea  with  the  Maggie " 

"Little  sorrel-top,"  Mr.  Gibney  murmured,  ruffling 
Scraggs's  thin  blonde  hair.  "Forget  them  sordid  mone- 
tary considerations.  I'm  somethin'  like  forty  jumps 
ahead  o'  the  devil  an'  ruination  for  the  first  time  since 
me  an'  Bull  McGinty  organized  the  Brotherhood  o' 
the  South  Seas— 

"Leggo  me,"  snarled  Captain  Scraggs  and  springing 
back,  he  bent  and  looked  earnestly  into  Mr.  Gibney's 
happy  countenance.  "Good  land  o'  Goshen,  if  you 
ain't  him ! "  Hate  gleamed  in  his  eyes. 

"Ain't  who,  you  shrimp!"  Mr.  Gibney  was  mystified 
at  this  abrupt  change  of  attitude. 

Captain  Scraggs  blinked  and  passed  his  hand  wearily 
across  his  brow.  "Forgive  me,  Gib,"  he  answered 
humbly.  "I  was  sort  o'  took  back,  that's  all." 

"Took  back  at  what?" 

"We  won't  say  nothin'  more  about  it,  Gib,  except 
that  while  I'd  like  to  accept  your  kind  offer  an'  put 
you  back  on  the  job  again,  I — I  just  can't  bring  myself 
to  do  it.  I'll  have  to  forget  first." 

"Forget  what?     Bart,  is  Scraggsy  gone  nutty?" 

"  Out  with  it,  Scraggs,"  Mr.  McGuffey  urged.  "  Spit 
it  out,  whatever  it  is." 

"I'd  rather  not,  but  since  you  ask  me  I  suppose  I 
might  as  well.  Gib,  ever  since  me  an'  you  first  hooked 
up  together,  away  back  in  the  corner  o'  my  head  there's 


134  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

been  lurkin'  a  suspicion  that  once  before,  a  long  time 
ago,  you  an'  me  have  had  some  business  dealin's,  but 
for  the  life  o'  me  I  couldn't  place  you.  One  minute  I'd 
just  be  a-staggerin'  on  the  brink  of  memory,  as  the 
feller  says,  an'  the  next  it'd  slip  away  from  me.  But 
just  now,  when  you  mentioned  Bull  McGinty  an'  the 
Brotherhood  o'  the  South  Seas — well,  Gib,  it  all  come 
back  to  me  like  a  flash.  Bull  McGinty  an'  the  schooner 
Dashin9  Wave!"  Captain  Scraggs  shook  his  head  as 
if  his  thoughts  threatened  toj^ongeal  in  his  brain  and 
he  desired  to  shake  them  up.  "Bull  had  a  dash  o'  the 
tar-brush  in  his  make  up,  if  I  don't  disremember,  an' 
you  was  his  young  mate.  Man,  how  funny  you  did 
look  with  them  long  red  whiskers — an'  you  little  more'n 
a  boy." 

"Jumpin'  Jehosophat,  Scraggsy!  Was  you  one  o' 
the  Brotherhood?" 

Captain  Scraggs  came  close  and  thrust  his  face  up 
for  Mr.  Gibney's  inspection.  "Gib,"  he  said  solemnly, 
"look  at  me!  Touch  the  cord  o'  memory  an'  think 
back.  D'ye  remember  that  pore  little  feller  you  robbed 
of  five  hundred  dollars  twenty-odd  year  ago  in  the 
schooner  Dashin9  Wave?  D'ye  remember  that  ty- 
phoon we  was  in  an'  how,  when  I  was  that  tuckered  out 
an'  so  seasick  I  couldn't  stand  up,  you  made  me  pump 
ship  an'  when  I  protested,  you  stuck  a  horse  pistol 
under  my  nose  an'  made  me?  That  man,  Adelbert  P. 
Gibney  was  me!  Me!  Me!'9  Scraggs's  voice  rose 
in  a  crashing  crescendo;  his  teeth  clicked  together  and 
he  shook  his  skinny  fist  under  the  great  Gibney  nose. 
Gibney  paled  and  drew  away  from  him. 

"How  was  I  to  know,  Scraggsy?"  he  faltered.     "The 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  135 

whole  bunch  was  runts — sickly,  measly  little  fellers. 
Nevertheless  an'  agin,  you  shouldn't  ought  to  have  any 
kick  comin'.  You  had  a  fine  trip  an'  a  heap  of  ad- 
venture an'  me  an'  Bull  paid  your  passage  back  to  San 
Francisco.  Come,  Scraggs.  Be  sensible.  What's  the 
use  holdin'  a  grudge  after  twenty-five  years?" 

"Oh,  I  ain't  holdin'  a  grudge,  exactly,  Gib,  my  boy. 
I  admit  I  had  a  good  run  for  my  money  an'  it  was  a 
smart  piece  o'  work,  an'  I  got  to  admire  the  idea,  same 
as  I  got  to  admire  the  seamanship  you  displayed  sailin' 
the  Chesapeake  single-handed.  It  ain't  what  you  done 
to  me  as  makes  my  blood  boil.  It's  what  you  went  an' 
done  afterward." 

"What'd  I  do  afterward?  You  can't  hang  nothin' 
on  me,  Phineas  P.  Scraggs.  Bluffin'  don't  go.  Cough 
it  up."  i 

"All  right,  since  you  drive  me  to  it.  How  about  that 
lovely,  untootered  savage  that  you  lures  into  your  foul 
clutches  so's  you  can  make  yourself  king  of  Aranuka? 
Hey?  Hey?  How  about  that  little  tropic  wild  flower 
you  carelessly  plucked  an'  thrun  away?  Oh,  I'll  admit 
she  was  a  savage,  but  she  was  sweet  an'  human  for  all 
that  an'  she  had  feelin's.  She  had  a  heart  to  bust  an' 
you  busted  it  for  fair." 

Mr.  Gibney  attempted  to  hoot,  but  made  a  poor  job 
of  it.  "Why,  wherever  do  you  get  this  wild  tale, 
Scraggsy,  old  spell-binder?  You're  sure  jingled  or  you 
wouldn't  talk  so  vagrant." 

"You  can't  git  away  with  it  like  that,  Gib.  I  trailed 
you.  Gib,  for  two  mortal  years  I  follered  you,  after 
you  dropped  us  at  Suva,  an'  I  was  just  a  thirstin'  for 
your  blood.  If  I'd  met  up  with  you  any  time  them  first 


136  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

two  years  I'd  have  shot  you  like  a  dog.  I  got  a  whisper 
you  was  in  Aranuka  but  when  I  got  there  you'd  left. 
But  I  found  your  .wife — her  you  called  Pinky.  She 
couldn't  believe  you'd  slipped  your  cable  for  good  an' 
there  she  was,  a-waitin'  an'  a-waitin'  for  her  king  to 
come  back.  Gib,  I'm  free  to  tell  you  that  piracy,  bar- 
ratry, murder  an*  homicide  pales  into  insignificance 
compared  with  what  you  went  an'  done,  for  you  broke 
an  innercent  an'  trustin'  heart  an'  hell's  too  good  for  a 
man  that'll  pull  a  trick  like  that." 

"Scraggsy,  Scragg  y,  Scraggsy,"  Mr.  Gibney  pro- 
tested. "Them's  awful  hard  words." 

"I  can't  help  it.  You  told  me  to  speak  out  an'  I'm 
a-doin'  it.  You  hooks  up  w'th  this  unsophisticated, 
trustful  woman — she  ain't  a  woman;  she's  a  young  girl 
at  the  time — an'  she  ain't  civilized  enough  to  be  on  to 
your  kind.  So  you  finds  it  easy  to  make  her  love  you. 
Not  with  the  common  sordid  love  of  a  white  woman 
but  with  the  fierce,  undyin'  passion  o'  the  South  Seas. 
An'  when  you  get  her  in  your  clutches,  her  an'  her  whole 
possessions  an'  she's  yours  body  an'  bones,  in  the  sight 
o'  God  an'  the  sight  o'  man — you  ups  an'  leaves  her! 
You  throw  her  down  like  she's  so  much  dirt  an'  leave 
her  to  die  of  a  broken  heart.  An'  she'd  a-done  it,  too, 
if  it  hadn't  a'  been  for  the  children." 

Captain  Scraggs  was  fairly  thunderm'  his  denuncia- 
tion as  he  concluded  with:  "You — you  murderer! 
Ain't  you  ashamed  of  yourself?  " 

Mr.  Gibney,  thoroughly  crushed,  hung  his  head. 
,"If  there  was  kids,  Scraggsy,"  he  pleaded,  "they 
wasn't  mine,  not  that  I  knows  on." 

"I  ain't  sayin'  you  don't  speak  the  truth  there,  Gib. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  137 

Maybe  you  don't  know  that  part  of  it,  because  you 
left  before  they  was  born.  Yes,  sir,  that  gal  had  two 
twins — a  boy  an*  a  girl  an'  both  that  white,  when  I 
see  them  as  yearlings,  you'd  never  suspect  they  had  a 
dab  o'  the  tar-brush  in  'em  at  all.  The  boy  had  red 
hair — provin'  he  was  yourn,  Gib." 

Mr.  Gibney  could  stand  no  more.  He  sat  down  on 
the  hatch  coaming  and  covered  his  face  with  his  hard- 
red  hands.  "If  there  was  kids,  Scraggsy,"  he  sobbed, 
"I  didn't  know  it.  I  had  everything  else,  Scraggs, 
but  heirs  to  my  throne.  Scraggsy,  believe  me  or  not, 
but  if  I'd  had  children  I'd  have  stuck  by  Pinky.  I 
wouldn't  desert  my  own  flesh  an'  blood,  so  help  me." 

"Well,"  Scraggs  went  on  sorrowfully,  "Pinky's 
dead  an'  so  her  troubles  is  over.  I  heard  some  years 
ago  she'd  passed  on  with  consumption.  But  them 
two  hapahaole  kids  o'  yourn,  Gib.  Just  think  of  it. 
Banged  an'  ragged  around  between  decks,  neither  black 
nor  white — too  good  for  the  natives  an*  not  good 
enough  for  the  whites.  Princes  on  their  mother's 
side,  they  been  robbed  o'  their  hereditary  rights  by  a 
gang  o'  native  roughnecks,  while  their  own  father  loafs 
alongshore  in  San  Francisco  an'  enjoys  himself." 

"Looky  here,  Scraggs,"  Mr.  McGuffey  struck  in 
ominously.  "Ain't  you  said  about  enough?  Don't 
hit  a  feller  when  he's  down." 

"Well,  he  ain't  down  so  low  that  he  can't  climb  back. 
If  he's  got  a  spark  o'  manhood  left  in  him  he'll  never 
rest  until  he  goes  back  to  Aranuka,  looks  up  them 
progeny  o'  his,  an'  does  his  best  to  make  amends  for  the 
past.  Gib,  you  can't  work  for  me  aboard  the  Maggie 
»—not  if  the  old  girl  couldn't  turn  her  screw  until  you 


138  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

stepped  aboard.     Personally  you  got  a  lot  o'  fine  p'ints 

an'  I  like  you,  but  now  that  I  know  your  past " 

He  threw  out  his  hands  despairingly.     "It's  your  mor- 
als, Gib,  it's  your  blasted  morals." 

"You're  right,  Scraggs,"  Mr.  Gibney  mumbled 
brokenly.  "It's  my  duty  to  go  look  up  them  poor 
children  o'  mine.  Bart,  you  stick  by  old  Scraggsy. 
I  owe  him  somethin'  for  showin'  me  my  duty  an'  I'm 
lookin'  to  you  to  pay  the  interest  on  my  bill  till  I  get 
back  with  them  poor  kids  o'  mine.  Until  then  I  guess 
I  ain't  fit  to  'sociate  with  white  men." 

Mr.  McGuffey  appeared  on  the  point  of  weeping  and 
put  his  arm  around  his  old  comrade  in  silent  sympathy. 
Presently  Mr.  Gibney  shook  hands  with  him  and 
Scraggs  and,  motioning  them  not  to  follow  him,  went 
ashore.  Before  him,  in  his  mind's  eye,  there  floated  the 
picture  of  a  South  Sea  Island  with  the  nodding,  tufted 
palms  fringing  the  beach  and  the  glow  of  a  volcano 
against  the  moonlit  sky.  Standing  on  the  headland, 
waving  him  a  last  farewell,  stood  the  broken-hearted 
victim  of  his  capricious  youth,  the  lovely  Pinky  Poui- 
Slam-Bang.  Every  lineament  of  her  beautiful  features 
was  tattooed  indelibly  on  his  memory;  he  knew  she 
would  haunt  him  forever. 

He  went  up  to  the  Bowhead  saloon,  had  a  drink, 
leaned  on  the  end  of  the  bar  and  thought  it  over. 
There  was  but  one  way  to  get  back  to  Aranuka  and 
that  was  to  ship  out  before  the  mast  on  a  South  Sea 
trader — and  with  that  thought  came  remembrance  of 
the  Tropio  Bird,  soon  to  be  discharged  and  outward 
bound. 

minutes  later,  Mr.  Gibney  was  aboard  the 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  139 

Tropic  Bird  and  had  presented  himself  at  her  master's 
cabin.  "Where're  you  bound  for  next  trip,  sir?"  he 
inquired. 

"  General  trading  through  the  Marquesas,  the  Soci- 
ety Islands,  and  the  Gilberts." 

"Happen  to  be  goin'  to  Aranuka,  in  the  Gilberts?" 

"You  bet.     Got  a  trading  station  there." 

"How  are  you  off  for  a  good  mate?" 

"Got  one." 

"How  about  a  second  mate?" 

"Got  a  cracker  jack." 

"Well,  I'm  not  particular.    I'll  make  a  bully  bo'sun, 


sir." 


"Very  well.  We'll  be  sailing  some  day  next  week 
and  you  can  sign  up  before  the  Commissioner  any  time 
you're  ready.  By  the  way,  what's  your  name?" 

"Gibney,  sir.    Adelbert  P.  Gibney." 

"Any  experience  in  the  South  Seas?" 

"Heaps  of  it.  I  was  mate  for  three  years  with  Bull 
McGinty  in  the  old  Daskin9  Wave  more'n  twenty  years 


The  master  of  the  Tropic  Bird  blinked.  "Gibney! 
Gibney!"  he  murmured.  "Why,  I  wonder  if  you're 
the  same  man.  Are  you  the  chap  that  was  king  of 
Aranuka  for  six  months  and  then  abdicated  for  no 
reason  at  all?" 

"I  was,  sir,"  Mr.  Gibney  confessed  shamefacedly. 
"I'm  King  Gibney  of  Aranuka." 

"What  was  your  wife's  name?" 

"I  called  her  Pinky  for  short." 

"By  Neptune,  what  a  coincidence!  Why,  Gibney, 
I  saw  Her  Majesty  on  our  last  trip,  less  than  two 


140  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

months  ago,  and  she  was  telling  me  all  about  you. 
Great  old  girl,  Pinky,  and  mighty  proud  of  the  fact 
that  once  she  had  a  white  husband.  So  you're  King 
Gibney,  eh?  Well,  well!  The  world  is  certainly 
small."  The  skipper  chuckled,  nor  noticed  Mr.  Gib- 
ney's  bulging  eyes  and  hanging  jaw.  "Going  back  to 
take  over  your  kingdom  again,  Gibney?"  he  demanded 
jocosely. 

"You  say  you  saw  her  two  months  ago  ?"  Mr.  Gib- 
ney bellowed.  "  D'ye  mean  to  tell  me  she's  alive?  " 

"I  did  and  she's  very  much  so." 

"An'  the  twins.     How  about  them? " 

"There  are  no  twins.  Pinky  never  had  any  children 
until  after  Bull  McGinty  took  up  with  her,  which  was 
after  you  left  her.  They  say  she  doesn't  think  quite 
as  much  of  McGinty  as  she  did  of  you.  He  has  a  dash 
of  dark  blood  and  it  shows  up  strong." 

"The  dog  wrote  me  he'd  married  a  sugar  plantation 
in  Maui." 

"Perhaps  he  did.  If  the  plantation  didn't  produce, 
though,  you  can  bet  Bull  McGinty  wouldn't  stay  put. 
By  the  way,  I  have  a  photograph  of  Queen  Pinky. 
Snapped  her  with  my  kodak  on  the  last  trip."  He 
searched  around  in  the  drawer  of  his  desk  and  brought 
the  picture  forth.  "Think  you'd  recognize  Her  Maj- 
esty after  all  these  years?"  he  asked. 

Mr.  Gibney  seized  the  picture,  gazed  upon  it  a  mo- 
ment, and  emitted  one  horrified  ejaculation  which  in 
itself  would  have  been  sufficient  to  bar  him  forever  from 
polite  society.  For  what  he  gazed  upon  was  not  the 
lovely  Pinky  of  other  days,  but  a  very  fat,  untidy, 
ugly  black  woman  in  a  calico  Mother  Hubbard  dress. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  141 

The  face,  while  good-natured,  was  wrinkled  with  age 
and  dissipation;  indeed,  worldling  that  he  was,  Mr.  Gib- 
ney saw  at  a  glance  that  Pinky  had  grown  fond  of  her 
gin.  From  the  royal  lips  a  huge  black  cigar  pro- 
truded. 

"I  guess  I  won't  take  that  bo'sun  job  after  all,"  he 
gasped — and  fled.  Two  minutes  later,  Captain  Scraggs 
and  Mr.  McGuffey,  were  astonished  to  find  Mr.  Gibney 
waiting  for  them  on  deck.  His  face  was  terrible  to  be- 
hold; he  fixed  Scraggs  with  a  searching  glance  and  ad- 
vanced upon  the  Maggie's  owner  with  determination  in 
every  movement. 

"Why — why,  Gib,  we  thought  you  was  headed  south 
by  this  time,"  Scraggs  sputtered,  for  something  told 
him  great  events  portended. 

"You  dirty  dawg!  You  little  fice!  You  figgered  on 
breakin'  my  heart  an'  sendin'  me  off  on  a  wild-goose 
chase,  didn't  you?"  Mr.  Gibney  leaped  and  his  great 
hand  closed  over  Captain  Scraggs's  collar.  "Own  up," 
he  bellowed.  "  Where'd  you  git  this  dope  about  me  an' 
Pinky?  Lie  to  me  agin  an'  I'll  toss  you  overboard," 
and  in  order  to  impress  Captain  Scraggs  with  the 
seriousness  of  his  intentions  he  cuffed  the  latter  vigor- 
ously with  his  open  left  palm. 

"I  was  behind  the  potato  crates  this  mornin*  whilst 
you  an'  Mac  was  yarnin',"  Scraggs  hastened  to  confess. 
"Ow!  Wow!  Leggo,Gib!  Can't  you  take  a  little  joke?" 

"Was  Mac  here  in  on  the  joke?  Was  you  let  in  on  it 
after  I  went?"  Mr.  Gibney  demanded  of  his  Fidus 
Achates. 

"I  was  not,  Gib.  I  don't  call  it  no  joke  to  wring  a 
feller's  heart  like  Scraggsy  wrung  yourn." 


142  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"In  addition  to  makin'  a  three-ply  jackass  o9  me!" 
Captain  Scraggs  cowered  under  the  rain  of  ferocious 
slaps  and  attempted  to  fight  back,  but  he  was  helpless 
in  the  huge  Gibney's  grasp  and  was  forced  to  submit 
to  a  boxing  of  the  ears  that  would  have  addled  his 
brains,  had  he  possessed  any.  "Now,  then,"  Mr.  Gib- 
ney  roared,  as  he  cast  the  skipper  loose,  "let  that  be  a 
lesson  to  you  to  let  the  skeletons  in  my  closet  alone  here- 
after. Mac,  you're  not  to  lend  Scraggsy  a  cent  to  help 
him  out  on  expenses,  added  to  which  me  an'  you  quit 
the  Maggie  here  an'  now." 

"You're  a  devil,"  McGuffey  growled  at  Scraggs,  "an' 
sweet  Christian  thoughts  is  wasted  on  you." 

Glowering  ferociously,  the  worthy  pair  went  over  the 
rail. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

y^>|  ODLESS  and  wholly  irreclaimable  as  Mr.Gibney 
f  -^rand  Mr.  McGuffey  might  have  been  and  doubt- 
^-^  less  were,  each  possessed  in  bounteous  measure 
the  sweetest  of  human  attributes,  to-wit:  a  soft,  kind 
heart  and  a  forgiving  spirit.  Creatures  of  impulse  both, 
they  found  it  absolutely  impossible  to  nourish  a  grudge 
against  Captain  Scraggs,  when,  upon  returning  to  Scab 
Johnny's  boarding  house  that  night,  their  host  handed 
them  a  grubby  note  from  their  enemy.  It  was  short 
and  sweet  and  sounded  quite  sincere;  Mr.  Gibney  read 
it  aloud: 

On  Board  the  Maggie,  Saturday  night. 
DEAR  FRIENDS: 

I  am  sorry.  I  apologize  to  you,  Gib,  because  I  hurt  your  fealings. 
I  also  apologize  to  Bart  for  hurting  the  fealings  of  his  dear  friend. 
Speeking  of  hurts  you  and  Gib  hurt  me  awful  with  your  kidden  when 
you  took  the  Chesapeake  away  from  me  so  I  jest  had  to  put  one  over 
on  you.  To  er  is  human  but  to  forgive  is  devine.  After  what  I 
done  I  don't  expect  you  two  to  come  back  to  work  ever  but  for  God's 
sake  don't  give  me  the  dead  face  when  we  meat  agin.  Remember 
we  been  shipmates  once. 

P.  P.  SCRAGGS. 

"Why,  the  pore  ol'  son  of  a  horse  thief,"  Mr.  Gibney 
murmured,  much  moved  at  this  profound  abasement. 
"Of  course  we  forgive  him.  It  ain't  manly  to  hold  a 
grouch  after  the  culprit  has  paid  his  fair  price  for  his 

143 


144  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

sins.  By  an'  large,  I  got  a  hunch,  Bart,  that  old  Scrag- 
gsy's  had  his  lesson  for  once." 

"If  you  can  forgive  him,  I  can,  Gib." 

"Well,  he's  certainly  cleaned  himself  handsome,  Bart. 
Telephone  for  a  messenger  boy,"  and  Mr.  Gibney  sat 
down  and  wrote: 

Scraggsy,  old  fanciful,  we're  square.  Forget  it  and  come  to 
breakfast  with  us  at  seven  to-morrow  at  the  Marigold  Cafe.  I'll 
order  deviled  lam  kidneys  for  three.  It's  alright  with  Bart  also. 

Yours, 

GIB. 

This  note,  delivered  to  Captain  Scraggs  by  the  mes- 
senger boy,  lifted  the  gloom  from  the  latter's  miserable 
soul  and  sent  him  home  with  a  light  heart  to  Mrs. 
Scraggs.  At  the  Marigold  Cafe  next  morning  he  was 
almost  touched  to  observe  that  both  Gibney  and  Mc- 
Guffey  showed  up  arrayed  in  dungarees,  wherefore 
Scraggs  knew  his  late  enemies  purposed  proceeding  to 
the  Maggie  immediately  after  breakfast  and  working 
in  the  engine  room  all  day  Sunday.  Such  action,  when 
he  knew  both  gentlemen  to  be  the  possessors  of  wealth 
far  beyond  the  dreams  of  avarice,  bordered  so  closely 
on  the  miraculous  that  Scraggs  made  a  mental  resolve 
to  play  fair  in  the  future — at  least  as  fair  as  the  limits 
of  his  cross-grained  nature  would  permit.  He  was  so 
cheerful  and  happy  that  McGuffey,  taking  advantage 
of  the  situation,  argued  him  into  some  minor  repairs  to 
the  engine.  The  work  was  so  far  advanced  by  mid- 
night Sunday  that  Scraggs  realized  he  would  get  to 
sea  by  Tuesday  noon,  so  he  dismissed  Gibney  and  Mc- 
Guffey  and  ordered  them  home  for  some  needed  sleep. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  145 

McGuffey's  heart  was  with  the  Maggie's  internal  econ- 
omy, however,  and  on  Monday  morning  he  was  up  be- 
times, leaving  Mr.  Gibney  to  snore  blissfully  until  eight 
o'clock. 

About  nine  o'clock,  as  Mr.  Gibney  was  on  his  way  to 
the  Marigold  Cafe  for  breakfast,  he  was  mildly  inter- 
ested, while  passing  the  Embarcadero  warehouse,  to 
note  the  presence  of  fully  a  dozen  seedy-looking  gentle- 
men of  undoubted  Hebraic  antecedents,  congregated 
in  a  circle  just  outside  the  warehouse  door.  There  was 
an  air  of  suppressed  excitement  about  this  group  of  Jews 
that  aroused  Mr.  Gibney 's  curiosity;  so  he  decided  to 
cross  over  and  investigate,  being  of  the  opinion  that 
possibly  one  of  their  number  had  fallen  in  a  fit.  He 
had  once  had  an  epileptic  shipmate  and  was  peculiarly 
expert  in  the  handling  of  such  cases. 

Now,  if  the  greater  portion  of  Mr.  Gibney's  eventful 
career  had  not  been  spent  at  sea,  he  would  have  known, 
by  the  red  flag  that  floated  over  the  door,  that  a  public 
auction  was  about  to  take  place,  and  that  the  group  of 
Hebrew  gentlemen  constituted  an  organization  known 
as  the  Forty  Thieves,  whose  business  it  was  to  domi- 
nate the  bidding  at  all  auctions,  frighten  off,  or  buy  off, 
or  outbid  all  competitors,  and  eventually  gather  unto 
themselves,  at  their  own  figures,  all  goods  offered  for 
sale. 

In  the  centre  of  the  group  Mr.  Gibney  noticed  a  tall, 
lanky  individual,  evidently  the  leader,  who  was  issuing 
instructions  in  a  low  voice  to  his  henchmen.  This  in- 
dividual, though  Mr.  Gibney  did  not  know  it,  was  the 
King  of  the  Forty  Thieves.  As  Mr.  Gibney  luffed  into 
view  the  king  eyed  him  with  suspicion.  Observing 


146  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

this,  Mr.  Gibney  threw  out  his  magnificent  chest, 
scowled  at  the  king,  and  stepped  into  the  warehouse 
for  all  the  world  as  if  he  owned  it. 

An  oldish  man  with  glasses — the  auctioneer — was 
seated  on  a  box  making  figures  in  a  notebook.  Him 
Mr.  Gibney  addressed. 

" What's  all  this  here?"  he  inquired,  jerking  his 
thumb  over  his  shoulder  at  the  group. 

<"It's  an  old  horse  sale,"  replied  the  auctioneer,  with- 
out looking  up. 

Mr.  Gibney  brightened.  He  glanced  around  for  the 
stock  in  trade,  but  observing  none  concluded  that  the 
old  horses  would  be  led  in,  one  at  a  time,  through  a  small 
door  in  the  rear  of  the  warehouse.  Like  most  sailors, 
Mr.  Gibney  had  a  passion  for  horseback  riding,  and  in  a 
spirit  of  adventure  he  resolved  to  acquaint  himself  with 
the  ins  and  outs  of  an  old  horse  sale, 

"How  much  might  a  man  have  to  give  for  one  of  the 
critters?"  he  asked.  "And  are  they  worth  a  whoop 
after  you  get  them?" 

"Twenty-five  cents  up,"  was  the  answer.  "You  go 
it  blind  at  an  old  horse  sale,  as  a  rule.  Perhaps  you  get 
something  that's  worthless,  and  then  again  you  may 
get  something  that  has  heaps  of  value,  and  perhaps  you 
only  pay  half  a  dollar  for  it.  It  all  depends  on  the  bid- 
ding. I  once  sold  an  old  horse  to  a  chap  and  he  took  it 
home  and  opened  it  up,  and  what  d'ye  suppose  he  found 
inside?" 

"Bots,"  replied  Mr.  Gibney,  who  prided  himself  on 
being  something  of  a  veterinarian,  having  spent  a  few 
months  of  his  youth  around  a  livery  stable. 

"A  million  dollars  in  Confederate  greenbacks,"  re- 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  147 

plied  the  auctioneer.  "Of  course  they  didn't  have  any 
value,  but  just  suppose  they'd  been  U.  S.?" 

"  That's  right,'*  agreed  Mr.  Gibney.  "  I  suppose  the 
swab  that  owned  the  horse  starved  him  until  the  poor 
animal  figgered  that  all's  grass  that's  green.  As  the 
feller  says,  'Truth  is  sometimes  stranger  than  fiction.' 
If  you  throw  in  a  saddle  and  bridle  cheap,  I  might  be 
induced  to  invest  in  one  of  your  old  horses,  shipmate." 

The  auctioneer  glanced  quickly  at  Mr.  Gibney,  but 
noticing  that  worthy's  face  free  from  guile,  he  burst  out 
laughing. 

"My  sea-faring  friend,"  he  said  presently,  "when  we 
use  the  term  'old  horse,'  we  use  it  figuratively.  See 
all  this  freight  stored  here?  Well,  that's  old  horses. 
It's  freight  from  the  S.  P.  railroad  that's  never  been 
called  for  by  the  consignees,  and  after  it's  in  the  ware- 
house a  year  and  isn't  called  for,  we  have  an  old  horse 
sale  and  auction  it  off  to  the  highest  bidder.  Savey?  " 

Mr.  Gibney  took  refuge  in  a  lie.  "Of  course  I  do. 
I  was  just  kiddin'  you,  my  hearty."  (Here  Mr.  Gib- 
ney's  glance  rested  on  two  long  heavy  sugar-pine  boxes, 
or  shipping  cases.  Their  joints  at  all  four  corners  were 
cunningly  dove-tailed  and  wire-strapped.)  "I  was  a 
bit  interested  in  them  two  boxes,  an'  seein'  as  this  is  a 
free  country,  I  thought  I'd  just  step  in  an'  make  a  bid 
on  them,"  and  with  the  words,  Mr.  Gibney  walked  over 
and  busied  himself  in  an  inspection  of  the  two  crates  in 
question. 

The  fact  of  the  matter  was  that  so  embarrassed  was 
Mr.  Gibney  at  the  exposition  of  his  ignorance  that  he 
desired  to  hide  the  confusion  evident  in  his  sun-tanned 
face.  So  he  stooped  over  the  crates  and  pretended  to 


148  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

be  exceedingly  interested  in  them,  hauling  and  pushing 
them  about  and  reading  the  address  of  the  consignee 
who  had  failed  to  call  for  his  goods.  The  crates  were 
both  consigned  to  the  Gin  Seng  Company,  714  Dupont 
Street,  San  Francisco.  There  were  several  Chinese 
characters  scrawled  on  the  top  of  each  crate,  together 
with  the  words,  in  English:  "Oriental  Goods." 

As  he  ceased  from  his  fake  inspection  of  the  two 
boxes,  the  King  of  the  Forty  Thieves  approached  and 
surveyed  the  sailor  with  an  even  greater  amount  of  dis- 
trust and  suspicion  than  ever.  Mr.  Gibney  was  an- 
noyed. He  disliked  being  stared  at,  so  he  said: 

"Hello,  Blumenthal,  my  bully  boy.  What's  aggra- 
vatin'  you  ?  " 

Blumenthal  (since  Mr.  Gibney,  in  the  sheer  riot  of 
his  imagination  elected  to  christen  him  Blumenthal, 
the  name  will  probably  suit  him  as  well  as  any  other) 
came  close  to  Mr.  Gibney  and  drew  him  aside.  In  a 
hoarse  whisper  he  desired  to  know  if  Mr.  Gibney  at- 
tended the  auction  with  the  expectation  of  bidding  on 
any  of  the  packages  offered  for  sale.  Seeking  to  justify 
his  presence,  Mr.  Gibney  advised  that  it  was  his  inten- 
tion to  bid  in  everything  in  sight;  whereupon  Blumen- 
thal proceeded  to  explain  to  Mr.  Gibney  how  impossi- 
ble it  would  be  for  him,  array ed*  against  the  Forty 
Thieves,  to  buy  any  article  at  a  reasonable  price.  Fur- 
ther: Blumenthal  desired  to  inform  Mr.  Gibney  that 
his  (Mr.  Gibney 's)  efforts  to  buy  in  the  "old  horses" 
would  merely  result  in  his  running  the  prices  up,  for  no 
beneficent  purpose,  since  it  was  ever  the  practice  of  the 
Forty  Thieves  to  permit  no  man  to  outbid  them.  Per- 
haps Mr.  Gibney  would  be  satisfied  with  a  fair  day's 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  149 

profit  without  troubling  himself  to  hamper  the  Forty 
Thieves  and  interfere  with  their  combination,  and  with 
the  words,  the  king  surreptitiously  slipped  Mr.  Gibney 
a  fifty -dollar  greenback. 

Mr.  Gibney  *s  great  fist  closed  over  the  treasure,  he 
having  first,  by  a  coy  glance,  satisfied  himself  that  it 
was  really  fifty  dollars.  He  shook  hands  with  the  king. 
He  said: 

"Blumenthal,  you're  a  smart  man.  I  am  quite  con- 
tent with  this  fifty  to  keep  off  your  course  and  give 
you  a  wide  berth  to  starboard.  I'm  sensible  enough  to 
know  when  I'm  licked,  an'  a  fight  without  profit  ain't  in 
my  line.  I  didn't  make  my  money  that  way,  Blumen- 
thal. I'll  cast  off  my  lines  and  haul  away  from  the 
dock,"  and  suiting  the  action  to  the  figure,  Mr.  Gibney 
departed. 

He  went  first  to  the  Seaboard  Drug  Store,  where  he 
quizzed  the  druggist  for  five  minutes,  after  which  he 
continued  his  cruise.  Upon  reaching  the  Maggie,  he 
proceeded  to  relate  in  detail,  and  with  many  additional 
details  supplied  by  his  own  imagination,  the  story  of 
his  morning's  adventure. 

"Gib,"  said  McGuffey  enviously,  "you're  a  fool 
for  luck." 

"Luck,"  said  Mr.  Gibney,  beginning  to  expand,  "is 
what  the  feller  ca'ls  a  relative  proposition " 

"You're  wrong,  Gib,"  interposed  Captain  Scraggs. 
"Relatives  is  unlucky  an'  expensive.  Take,  f'r  instance, 
Mrs.  Scraggs's  mother — 

"I  mean,  you  lunkhead,"  said  Mr.  Gibney,  "that 
luck  is  found  where  brains  grow.  No  brains,  no  luck. 
No  luck,  no  brains.  Lemme  illustrate.  A  thievin* 


150  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

land  shark  makes  me  a  present  o'  fifty  dollars  not  to  butt 
in  on  them  two  boxes  I'm  tellin'  you  about.  Him  an' 
his  gang  wants  them  two  boxes.  Fair  crazy  to  get  'em. 
Now,  don't  it  stand  to  reason  that  them  fellers  knows 
what's  in  them  boxes,  or  they  wouldn't  give  me  fifty 
dollars  to  haul  ship?  Of  course  it  does.  However,  in 
order  to  earn  that  fifty  dollars,  I  got  to  back  water.  It 
wouldn't  be  playin'  fair  if  I  didn't.  But  that  don't  pre- 
vent me  from  puttin'  two  dear  friends  o'  mine  (here 
Mr.  Gibney  encircled  Scraggs  and  McGuffey  with  an 
arm  each)  next  to  the  secret  which  I  discovers,  an'  if 
there's  money  in  it  for  old  Hooky  that  buys  me  off, 
it  stands  to  reason  that  there's  money  in  it  for  us  three. 
What's  to  prevent  you  an'  McGuffey  from  goin'  up  to 
this  old  horse  sale  an'  biddin'  in  them  two  boxes  for  the 
use  and  benefit  of  Gibney,  Scraggs,  an'  McGuffey,  all 
share  an'  share  alike?  You  can  bid  as  high  as  a  hun- 
dred dollars  if  necessary,  an'  still  come  out  a  thousand 
dollars  to  the  good.  I'm  tellin'  you  this  because  I 
know  what's  'n  them  two  boxes." 

McGuffey  was  staring  fascinated  at  Mr.  Gibney. 
Captain  Scraggs  clutched  his  mate's  arm  in  a  frenzied 
clasp. 

"What?"  they  both  interrogated. 

"You  two  boys,"  continued  Mr.  Gibney  with  aggra- 
vating deliberation,  "ain't  what  nobody  would  call 
dummies.  You're  smart  men.  But  the  trouble  with 
both  o'  you  boys  is  you  ain't  got  no  imagination.  With- 
out imagination  nobody  gets  nowhere,  unless  it's  out 
th'  small  end  o'  th'  horn.  Maybe  you  boys  ain't  no- 
ticed it,  but  my  imagination  is  all  that  keeps  me  from 
goin'  to  jail.  Now,  if  you  two  had  read  the  address  on 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  151 

them  two  boxes,  it  wouldn't  'a'  meant  nothin'  to  you. 
Absolutely  nothin'.  But  with  me  it's  different.  I'm 
blessed  with  imagination  enough  to  see  right  through 
them  Chinamen  tricks.  Them  two  boxes  is  marked 
"Oriental  Goods"  an*  consigned  (here  Mr.  Gibney 
raised  a  grimy  forefinger,  and  Scraggs  and  McGuffey 
eyed  it  very  much  as  if  they  expected  it  to  go  off  at  any 
moment) — "them  two  boxes  is  consigned  to  the  Gin 
Seng  Company,  714  Dupont  Street,  San  Francisco/' 

"Well,  that's  up  in  Chinatown  all  right,"  admitted 
Captain  Scraggs,  "but  how  about  what's  inside  the 
two  crates?" 

"Oriental  goods,  of  course,"  said  McGuffey. 
"They're  consigned  to  a  Chinaman,  an'  besides,  that's 
what  it  says  on  the  cases,  don't  it,  Gib?  Oriental 
goods,  Scraggs,  is  silks  an'  satins,  rice,  chop  suey,  punk, 
an'  idols  an'  fan  tan  layouts." 

Mr.  Gibney  tapped  gently  with  his  horny  knuckles 
on  the  honest  McGuffey's  head. 

"If  there  ain't  Swiss  cheese  movements  in  that  head 
block  o'  yours,  Mac,  you  an  Scraggy  can  divide  my 
share  o'  these  two  boxes  o'  ginseng  root  between  you. 
Do  you  get  it,  you  chuckleheaded  son  of  an  Irish  po- 
tato? Gin  Seng,  714  Dupont  Street.  Ginseng — a  root 
or  a  herb  that  medicine  is  made  out  of.  The  dictionary 
says  it's  a  Chinese  panacea  for  exhaustion,  an'  I  hap- 
pen to  know  that  it's  worth  five  dollars  a  pound  an* 
that  them  two  crates  weighs  a  hundred  and  fifty  pounds 
each  if  they  weighs  an  ounce." 

His  auditors  stared  at  Mr.  Gibney  much  as  might  a 
pair  of  baseball  fans  at  the  hero  of  a  home  run  with  two 
strikes  and  the  bases  full. 


152  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  , 

"Gawd!"  muttered  McGuffey. 

"Great  grief,  Gib!  Can  this  be  possible?"  gasped 
Captain  Scraggs. 

For  answer,  Mr.  Gibney  took  out  his  fifty-dollar  bill 
and  handed  it  to — to  McGuffey.  He  never  trusted 
Captain  Scraggs  with  anything  more  valuable  than  a 
pipeful  of  tobacco. 

"Scraggsy,"  he  said  solemnly,  "I'm  willin'  to  back 
my  imagination  with  my  cash.  You  an*  McGuffey 
hurry  right  over  to  the  warehouse  an'  butt  in  on  the 
sale  when  they  come  to  them  two  boxes.  The  sale  is 
just  about  startin'  now.  Go  as  high  as  you  think  you 
can  in  order  to  get  the  ginseng  at  a  profitable  figger, 
an'  pay  the  auctioneer  fifty  dollars  down  to  hold  the 
sale;  that  will  give  you  boys  time  to  rush  around  to 
dig  up  the  balance  o'  the  money.  Tack  right  along 
now,  lads,  while  I  go  down  the  street  an*  get  me  some 
breakfast.  I  don't  want  Blumenthal  to  see  me  around 
that  sale.  He  might  get  suspicious.  After  I  eat  I'll 
meet  you  here  aboard  th'  Maggie,  an'  we'll  divide  the 
loot." 

With  a  fervent  hand-shake  all  around,  the  three  ship- 
mates parted. 

After  disposing  of  a  hearty  breakfast  of  devilled 
lamb's  kidneys  and  coffee,  Mr.  Gibney  invested  in  a 
ten-cent  Sailor's  Delight  and  strolled  down  to  the  Mag- 
gie. Neils  Halvorsen,  the  lone  deckhand,  was  aboard, 
and  the  moment  Mr.  Gibney  trod  the  Maggie's  deck 
once  more  as  mate,  he  exercised  his  prerogative  to  order 
Neils  ashore  for  the  remainder  of  the  day.  Since  Hal- 
vorsen was  not  in  on  the  ginseng  deal,  Mr.  Gibney  con- 
cluded that  it  would  be  just  as  well  to  have  him  out  of 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  153 

the  way  should  Scraggs  and  McGuffey  appear  unex- 
pectedly with  the  two  cases  of  ginseng. 

For  an  hour  Mr.  Gibney  sat  on  the  stern  bitts  and 
ruminated  over  a  few  advantageous  plans  that  had 
occurred  to  him  for  the  investment  of  his  share  of  the 
deal  should  Scraggs  and  McGuffey  succeed  in  landing 
what  Mr.  Gibney  termed  "the  loot."  About  eleven 
o'clock  an  express  wagon  drove  in  on  the  dock,  and  the 
mate's  dreams  were  pleasantly  interrupted  by  a  gleeful 
shout  from  Captain  Scraggs,  on  the  lookout  forward 
with  the  driver.  McGuffey  sat  on  top  of  the  two 
cases  with  his  legs  dangling  over  the  end  of  the  wagon. 
He  was  the  picture  of  contentment. 

Mr.  Gibney  hurried  forward,  threw  out  the  gang- 
plank, and  assisted  McGuffey  in  carrying  both  crates 
aboard  the  Maggie  and  into  her  little  cabin.  Captain 
Scraggs  thereupon  dismissed  the  expressman,  and  all 
three  partners  gathered  around  the  dining-room  table, 
upon  which  the  boxes  rested. 

"Well,  Scraggsy,  old  pal,  old  scout,  old  socks,  I  see 
you've  delivered  the  goods,"  said  Mr.  Gibney,  batting 
the  skipper  across  the  cabin  with  an  affectionate  slap 
on  the  shoulder. 

"I  did,"  said  Scraggs — and  cursed  Mr.  Gibney's 
demonstrativeness.  "Here's  the  bill  o*  sale  all  regular. 
McGuffey  has  the  change.  That  bunch  o'  Israelites 
run  th'  price  up  to  $10.00  each  on  these  two  crates  o' 
ginseng,  but  when  they  see  we're  determined  to  have 
'em  an'  ain't  interested  in  nothin'  else,  they  lets  'em  go 
to  us.  McGuffey,  my  dear  boy,  whatever  are  you 
a-doin'  there — standin'  around  with  your  teeth  in 
your  mouth?  Skip  down  into  th'  engine  room  and 


154  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

bring  up  a  hammer  an'  a  col'  chisel.  We'll  open  her 
up  an'  inspect  th'  swag." 

Upon  McGuffey 's  return,  Mr.  Gibney  took  charge. 
He  drove  the  chisel  under  the  lid  of  the  nearest  crate, 
and  prepared  to  pry  it  loose.  Suddenly  he  paused.  A 
thought  had  occurred  to  him. 

"Gentlemen,"  he  said  (McGuffey  nodded  his  head 
approvingly),  "this  world  is  full  o'  sorrers  an'  disap- 
pointments, an'  it  may  well  be  that  these  two  cases 
don't  contain  even  so  much  as  a  smell  o'  ginseng  after 
all.  It  may  be  that  they  are  really  Oriental  goods. 
What  I  want  distinctly  understood  is  this:  no  matter 
what's  inside,  we  share  equally  in  the  profits,  even  if 
they  turn  out  to  be  losses.  That's  understood  an' 
agreed  to,  ain't  it?" 

Captain  Scraggs  and  McGuffey  indicated  that  it 
was. 

"There's  a  element  o'  mystery  about  these  two 
boxes,"  continued  Mr.  Gibney,  "that  fascinates  me. 
They  sets  my  imagination  a-workin'  an'  joggles  up  all 
my  sportin'  instincts.  Now,  just  to  make  it  interestin' 
an'  add  a  spice  t'  th'  grand  openin',  I'm  willin'  to  bet 
again  my  own  best  judgment  an'  lay  you  even  money, 
Scraggsy,  that  it  ain't  ginseng  but  Oriental  goods." 

"I'll  go  you  five  dollars,  just  f'r  ducks,"  responded 
Captain  Scraggs  heartily.  "McGuffey  to  hold  the 
stakes  an'  decide  the  bet." 

"Done,"  replied  Mr.  Gibney.  The  money  was 
placed  in  McGuffey 's  hands,  and  a  moment  later,  with  a 
mighty  effort,  Mr.  Gibney  pried  off  the  lid  of  the  crate. 
Captain  Scraggs  had  his  head  inside  the  box  a  fifth  of  a 
second  later. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  155 

"Sealed  zinc  box  inside,"  he  announced.  "Get  a 
can  opener,  Gib,  my  boy.'5 

"Ginseng,  for  a  thousand,"  mourned  Mr.  Gibney. 
"Scraggsy,  you're  five  dollars  of  my  money  to  the 
good.  Ginseng  always  comes  packed  in  air-tight 
boxes." 

He  produced  a  can  opener  from  the  cabin  locker 
and  fell  to  his  work  on  a  corner  of  the  hermetically 
sealed  box.  As  he  drove  in  the  point  of  the  can  opener, 
he  paused,  hammer  in  hand,  and  gazed  solemnly  at 
Scraggs  and  McGuffey. 

"Gentlemen"  (again  McGuffey  nodded  approvingly), 
"do  you  know  what  a  vacuum  is? " 

"I  know,"  replied  the  imperturbable  McGuffey. 
"A  vacuum  is  an  empty  hole  that  ain't  got  nothin' 
in  it." 

"Correct,"  said  Mr.  Gibney.  "My  head  is  a  vac- 
uum. Me  talkin'  about  ginseng  root!  Why,  I  must 
have  water  on  the  brain!  Ginseng  be  doggoned! 
It's  opium!" 

Captain  Scraggs  was  forced  to  grab  the  seat  of  his 
chair  in  order  to  keep  himself  from  jumping  up  and 
clasping  Mr.  Gibney  around  the  neck. 

"Forty  dollars  a  pound,"  he  gasped.  "Gib — Gib, 
my  dear  boy — you've  made  us  wealthy "  > 

Quickly  Mr.  Gibney  ran  the  can  opener  around  the 
edges  of  one  corner  of  the  zinc  box,  inserted  the  claws 
of  the  hammer  into  the  opening,  and  with  a  quick,  melo- 
dramatic twist,  bent  back  the  angle  thus  formed. 

Mr.  Gibney  was  the  first  to  get  a  peep  inside. 

"Great  snakes!"  he  yelled,  and  fell  back  against  the 
cabin  wall.  A  hoarse:  scream  of  rage  and  horror  broke 


156  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

from  Captain  Scraggs.  In  his  eagerness  he  had  driven 
his  head  so  deep  into  the  box  that  he  came  within  an 
inch  of  kissing  what  the  box  contained — which  hap- 
pened to  be  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  dead  Chinaman ! 
Mr.  McGuffey,  always  slow  and  unimaginative,  should- 
ered the  skipper  aside,  and  calmly  surveyed  the  ghastly 
apparition. 

"Twig  the  yellow  beggar,  will  you,  Gib?"  said 
McGuffey;  "one  eye  half  open  for  all  the  world  like  he 
was  winkin'  at  us  an*  enjoyin'  th'  joke." 

Not  a  muscle  twitched  in  McGuffey's  Hibernian 
countenance.  He  scratched  his  head  for  a  moment,  as 
a  sort  of  first  aid  to  memory,  then  turned  and  handed 
Mr.  Gibney  ten  dollars. 

"You  win,  Gib.     It's  Oriental  goods,  sure  enough." 

" Robber!"  shrieked  Captain  Scraggs,  and  flew  at 
Mr.  Gibney's  throat.  The  sight  reminded  McGuffey 
of  a  terrier  worrying  a  mastiff.  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Gib- 
ney was  still  so  unnerved  at  the  discovery  of  the  horri- 
ble contents  of  the  box  that,  despite  his  gigantic  pro- 
portions, he  was  well-nigh  helpless. 

"McGuffey,  you  swab,"  he  yeUed.  "Pluck  this 
maritime  outlaw  off  my  neck.  He's  tearin'  my  wind- 
pipe out  by  th'  roots." 

McGuffey  choked  Captain  Scraggs  until  he  reluc- 
tantly let  go  Mr.  Gibney;  whereupon  all  three  fled  from 
the  cabin  as  from  a  pestilence,  and  gathered,  an  angry 
and  disappointed  group,  out  on  deck. 

"Opium!"  jeered  Captain  Scraggs,  with  tears  of  rage 
in  his  voice.  "Ginseng!  You  and  your  imagination, 
you  swine,  you!  Get  off  my  ship,  you  lout,  or  I'll 
murder  you." 


"Great  snakes  C  he 
yelled  —  and  fell  back 
against  the  cabin  wall" 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  157 

Mr.  Gibney  hung  his  head. 

"Scraggsy — an'  you,  too,  McGuffey — I  got  to  admit 
that  this  here  is  one  on  Adelbert  P.  Gibney.  I — 
I- 

"Oh,  hear  him,"  shrilled  Captain  Scraggs.  "One  on 
him!  It's  two  on  you,  you  bloody-handed  ragpicker. 
I  suppose  that  other  case  contains  opium,  too!  If 
there  ain't  another  dead  corpse  in  No.  2  case  I  hope 
my  teeth  may  drop  overboard." 

"Shut  up!"  bellowed  Mr.  Gibney,  in  a  towering 
rage.  "What  howl  have  you  got  comin'?  They're 
my  Chinamen,  ain't  they?  I  paid  for  'em  like  a  man, 
didn't  I?  All  right,  then.  I'll  keep  them  two  China- 
men. You  two  ain't  out  a  cent  yet,  an'  as  for  this  five 
I  wins  off  you,  Scraggs,  it's  blood  money,  that's  what  it 
is,  an'  I  hereby  gives  it  back  to  you.  Now,  quit  yer 
whinin',  or  by  the  tail  o'  the  Great  Sacred  Bull,  I'll 
lock  you  up  all  night  in  th'  cabin  along  o'  them  two 
defunct  Celestials." 

Captain  Scraggs  "shut  up"  promptly,  and  con- 
tented himself  with  glowering  at  Mr.  Gibney.  The 
mate  sat  down  on  the  hatch  coaming,  lit  his  pipe,  and 
gave  himself  up  to  meditation  for  fully  five  minutes, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  McGuffey  was  aware  that  his 
imagination  was  about  to  come  to  the  front  once 
more. 

"Well,  gentlemen"  (again  McGuffey  nodded  approv- 
ingly), "I  bet  I  get  my  twenty  bucks  back  outer  them 
two  Chinks,"  he  announced  presently. 

"How'll  yer  do  it?"  inquired  McGuffey  politely. 

"How'll  I  do  it?  Easy  as  fallin'  through  an  open 
"hatch.  I'm  a-goin'  t'  keep  them  two  stiffs  in  th'  boxes 


158  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

until  dark,  an'  then  I'm  a-goin'  to  take  'em  out,  bend  a 
rope  around  their  middle,  drop  'em  overboard  an' 
anchor  'em  there  all  night.  I  see  th'  lad  we  opens  up 
in  No.  1  case  has  had  a  beautiful  job  o'  embahnin'  done 
on  him,  but  if  I  let  them  soak  all  night,  like  a  mackerel, 
they'll  limber  up  an'  look  kinder  fresh.  Then  first 
thing  in  th'  mornin'  I'll  telephone  th'  coroner  an'  tell 
him  I  found  two  floaters  out  in  th'  bay  an'  for  him  to 
come  an'  get  'em.  I  been  along  the  waterfront  long 
enough  t'  know  that  th'  lad  that  picks  up  a  floater  gets 
a  reward  o'  ten  dollars  from  th'  city.  You  can  bet  that 
Adelbert  P.  Gibney  breaks  even  on  th'  deal,  all  right." 

"Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  said  Captain  Scraggs  admir- 
ingly. "I  apologize  for  my  actions  of  a  few  minutes 
ago.  I  was  unstrung.  You're  still  mate  o'  th'  Ameri- 
can steamer  Maggie,  an'  as  such,  welcome  to  th'  ship. 
All  I  ask  is  that  you  nail  up  your  property,  Gib,  an* 
remove  it  from  th'  dinin'  room  table.  I  want  to  remind 
you,  however,  Gib,  that  as  shipmates  me  an'  McGuffey 
don't  stand  for  you  shoulderin'  any  loss  on  them  two 
cases  o' — Oriental  goods.  We  was  t'  share  th'  gains, 
if  any,  an'  likewise  th'  losses." 

"That's  right,"  said  McGuffey,  "fair  an'  square. 
No  bellyachin'  between  shipmates.  Me  an'  Scraggs 
each  owns  one-third  o'  them  diseased  Chinks,  an'  we 
each  stands  one-third  o'  th'  loss,  if  any." 

"But  there  won't  be  no  loss,"  protested  Mr.  Gibney. 

"Drayage  charges,  Gib,  drayage  charges.  We  give  a 
man  a  dollar  to  tow  'em  down  t'  th'  ship." 

"Forget  it,"  answered  Mr.  Gibney  magnanimously, 
"an'  let's  go  over  an'  get  a  drink.  I'm  all  shook  up." 

After  the  partners  had  partaken  of  a  sufficient  quan- 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  159 

tity  of  nerve  tonic,  Mr.  Gibney  suddenly  recollected 
that  he  had  to  go  over  to  Market  Street  and  redeem 
the  sextant  which  he  had  pawned  several  days  before. 
And  since  McGuffey  knew,  from  ocular  evidence,  that 
Mr.  Gibney  was  "flush,"  he  decided  to  accompany  the 
mate  and  preserve  him  from  temptation.  There  was 
safety  in  numbers,  he  reasoned.  Captain  Scraggs 
said  he  thought  he'd  go  back  to  the  Maggie.  He  had 
forgotten  to  lock  the  cabin  door. 


CHAPTER  XVH 

HAD  either  Mr.  Gibney  or  McGuffey  been  watch- 
ing Captain  Scraggs  for  the  next  twenty  min- 
utes they  would  have  been  much  puzzled  to 
account  for  that  worthy's  actions.  First  he  dodged 
around  the  block  into  Drumm  Street,  and  then  ran 
down  Drumm  to  California,  where  he  climbed  aboard  a 
c^ble  car  and  rode  up  into  Chinatown.  Arrived  at 
Dupont  Street  he  alighted  and  walked  up  that  interest- 
ing thoroughfare  until  he  came  to  No.  714.  He  glanced 
at  a  sign  over  the  door  and  was  aware  that  he  stood 
before  the  entrance  to  the  offices  of  the  Chinese  Six 
Companies,  so  he  climbed  upstairs  and  inquired  for 
Gin  Seng,  who  presently  made  his  appearance. 

Gin  Seng,  a  very  nice,  fat  Chinaman,  arrayed  in  a 
flowing  silk  gown,  begged,  in  pidgin-English,  to  know 
in  what  manner  he  could  be  of  service. 

"Me  heap  big  captain,  allee  same  ship,"  began  Cap- 
tain Scraggs.  "On  board  ship  two  China  boys  have 
got/',  (Here  Captain  Scraggs  winked  knowingly.) 
"China  boy  no  speak  English " 

"That  being  the  case,"  interposed  Gin  Seng,  "I 
presume  that  you  and  I  understand  each  other,  so 
let's  cut  out  the  pidgin-English.  Do  I  understand  that 
you  are  engaged  in  evading  the  immigration  laws?" 

"Exactly,"  Captain  Scraggs  managed  to  gasp,  as 
soon  as  he  could  recover  from  his  astonishment.  "They 

160 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  161 

showed  me  your  name  an'  address,  an5  they  won't  leave 
th'  ship,  where  I  got  'em  locked  up  in  my  cabin,  until 
you  come  an'  take  'em  away.  Couple  o'  relatives  of 
yours,  I  should  imagine." 

Gin  Seng  smiled  his  bland  Chinese  smile.  He  had 
frequent  dealings  with  ship  masters  engaged  in  the 
dangerous  though  lucrative  trade  of  smuggling  Chinese 
into  the  United  States,  and  while  he  had  not  received 
advice  of  this  particular  shipment,  he  decided  to  go 
with  Captain  Scraggs  to  Jackson  Street  bulkhead  and 
see  if  he  could  not  be  of  some  use  to  his  countrymen. 

As  Captain  Scraggs  and  his  Chinese  companion  ap- 
proached the  wharf  the  skipper  glanced  warily  about. 
He  had  small  fear  that  either  Gibney  or  McGuffey 
would  show  up  for  an  hour,  for  he  knew  that  Mr.  Gib- 
ney had  money  in  his  possession.  However,  he  decided 
to  take  no  chances,  and  scouted  the  vicinity  thoroughly 
before  venturing  aboard  the  Maggie.  These  actions 
served  but  to  increase  the  respect  of  Gin  Seng  for  the 
master  of  the  Maggie  and  confirmed  him  in  his  belief 
that  the  Maggie  was  a  smuggler. 

Captain  Scraggs  took  his  visitor  inside  the  little 
cabin,  carefully  locked  and  bolted  the  door,  lifted  the 
zinc  flap  back  from  the  top  of  the  crate  of  "Oriental 
goods,"  and  displayed  the  face  of  the  dead  Chinaman. 
Also  he  pointed  to  the  Chinese  characters  on  the 
wooden  lid  of  the  crate. 

"What  does  these  hen  scratches  mean?"  demanded 
Scraggs. 

"This  man  is  named  Ah  Ghow  and  he  belongs  to  the 
Hop  Sing  tong." 

"How  about  his  pal  here?" 


162  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"That  man  is  evidently  Ng  Chong  Yip.  He  is  also 
a  Hop  Sing  man." 

Captain  Scraggs  wrote  it  down.  "All  right,"  he  said 
cheerily;  "much  obliged.  Now,  what  I  want  to  know 
is  what  the  Hop  Sing  tong  means  by  shipping  the  de- 
parted brethren  by  freight?  They  go  to  work  an'  fix 
'em  up  nice  so's  they'll  keep,  packs  'em  away  in  a  zinc 
coffin,  inside  a  nice  plain  wood  box,  labels  'em  'Oriental 
goods,'  and  consigns  'em  to  the  Gin  Seng  Company, 
714  Dupont  Street,  San  Francisco.  Now  why  are 
these  two  countrymen  o'  yours  shipped  by  freight — 
where,  by  the  way,  they  goes  astray,  for  some  reason 
that  I  don't  know  nothin'  about,  an'  I  buys  'em  up  at  a 
old  horse  sale?" 

Gin  Seng  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  replied  that  he 
didn't  understand. 

"You  lie,"  snarled  Captain  Scraggs.  "You  savey 
all  right,  you  fat  old  idol,  you!  It's  because  if  the  rail- 
road company  knew  these  two  boxes  contained  dead 
corpses  they'd  a-soaked  the  relatives,  which  is  you, 
one  full  fare  each  from  wherever  these  two  dead  ones 
comes  from,  just  the  same  as  though  they  was  alive 
an*  well.  But  you  has  'em  shipped  by  freight,  an' 
aims  to  spend  a  dollar  an'  thirty  cents  each  on  'em,  by 
markin'  'em  'Oriental  Goods.'  Helluva  way  to  treat 
a  relation.  Now,  looky  here,  you  bloody  heathen. 
It'll  cost  you  just  five  hundred  dollars  to  recover  these 
two  stiffs,  an'  close  my  mouth.  If  you  don't  come 
through  I'll  make  a  belch  t'  th'  newspapers  an'  they'll 
keel  haul  an'  skulldrag  th'  Chinese  Six  Companies 
an'  the  Hop  Sing  tong  through  the  courts  for  evadin' 
th'  laws  o'  th'  Interstate  Commerce  Commission,  an' 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  163 

make  'em  look  like  monkeys  generally.  An'  then  th' 
police'll  get  wind  of  it.  Savey,  policee-man,  you  fat 
old  murderer?  Th'  price  I'm  askin'  is  cheap,  Charley. 
How  do  I  know  but  what  these  two  poor  boys  has  been 
murdered  in  cold  blood?  There's  somethin'  rotten 
in  Denmark,  my  bully  boy,  an'  you'll  save  time  an' 
trouble  an'  money  by  diggin'  up  five  hundred  dollars." 

Gin  Seng  said  he  would  go  back  to  Chinatown  and 
consult  with  his  company.  For  reasons  of  his  own  he 
was  badly  frightened. 

Scarce  had  he  departed  before  the  watchful  eye  of 
Captain  Scraggs  observed  Mr.  Gibney  and  McGuffey 
in  the  offing,  a  block  away.  When  they  came  aboard 
they  found  Captain  Scraggs  on  top  of  the  house,  seated 
on  an  upturned  fire  bucket,  smoking  pensively  and  gaz- 
ing across  the  bay  with  an  assumption  of  lamblike  inno- 
cence on  his  fox  face. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Scraggs,  Gibney  and  McGuffey 
nailed  up  the  box  of  "Oriental  Goods,"  set  both  boxes 
out  on  the  main  deck,  aft,  and  covered  them  with  a 
tarpaulin.  For  about  an  hour  thereafter  all  three  sat 
around  the  little  cabin  table,  talking,  and  presently 
it  became  evident,  to  Mr.  Gibney's  practiced  eye,  that 
Captain  Scraggs  had  something  on  his  mind.  Mr. 
Gibney,  suspecting  that  it  could  be  nothing  honest, 
was  surprised,  to  say  the  least,  when  Captain  Scraggs 
made  a  clean  breast  of  his  proposition. 

"Gib — an'  you,  too,  McGuffey.  I  been  thinkin9 
this  thing  over,  an'  as  master  o'  this  ship  an'  the  one 
who  does  the  biddin'  in  o'  these  two  Chinks  at  th'  sale, 
it's  up  to  me  t'  try  an'  bring  you  both  out  with  a  profit, 
an'  I  think  th'  sellin'  should  be  left  to  me.  I  won't  hide 


164  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

nothin'  from  you  boys.  I'm  a-willin'  to  take  a  chance 
that  I  can  sell  them  two  cadavers  to  some  horsepital 
f 'r  dissection  purposes,  an'  get  more  outer  th'  deal  than 
you  can,  Gib,  by  passin'  'em  off  as  floaters.  I'm  a- 
willin'  to  give  you  an'  McGuffey  a  five-dollar  profit  over 
an'  above  your  investment,  an'  take  over  th'  property 
myself,  just  f'r  a  flyer,  an'  to  sorter  add  a  sportin' 
interest  to  an  otherwise  humdrum  life.  How  about  it, 
lads?" 

"You  can  have  my  fraction,"  said  McGuffey 
promptly;  whereupon  Captain  Scraggs  produced  the 
requisite  amount  of  cash  and  immediately  became  the 
owner  of  a  two-thirds'  interest. 

Mr.  Gibney  was  a  trifle  mystified.  He  knew 
Scraggs  well  enough  to  know  that  the  skipper  never 
made  a  move  until  he  had  everything  planned  ahead 
to  a  nicety.  The  mate  was  not  above  making  five  dol- 
lars on  the  day's  work,  but  some  sixth  sense  told  him 
that  Captain  Scraggs  was  framing  up  a  deal  designed  to 
cheat  him  and  McGuffey  out  of  a  large  and  legitimate 
profit.  Sooner  than  sell  to  Captain  Scraggs,  there- 
fore, and  enable  him  to  unload  at  an  unknown  profit, 
Mr.  Gibney  resolved  to  retain  his  one-third  interest, 
even  if  he  had  to  go  to  jail  for  it.  So  he  informed  Cap- 
tain Scraggs  that  he  thought  he'd  hold  on  to  his  share  for 
a  day  or  two. 

"But,  Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  explained  Scraggs,  "you 
ain't  got  a  word  to  say  about  this  deal  no  more.  Don't 
you  realize  that  I  hold  a  controllin'  interest  an'  that 
you  must  bow  to  th'  vote  o5  th'  majority?" 

"Don't  I,  though,"  blustered  Mr.  Gibney.  "Well, 
just  let  me  catch  you  luggin'  off  my  property  without 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  165 

my  consent — in  writin' — an'  we'll  see  who  does  all  th' 
bowin%  Scraggsy.  I'll  cut  your  greedy  little  heart  out, 
that's  what  I'll  do." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Scraggs,  "y°u  get  your  blasted 
property  off'n  my  ship,  an'  get  yourself  off  an'  don't 
never  come  back." 

"F'r  th'  love  o'  common  sense,"  bawled  Mr.  Gib- 
ney,  "what  do  you  think  I  am?  A  butcher?  How  am 
I  to  get  away  with  a  third  o'  two  dead  Chinamen? 
Ain't  you  got  no  reason  to  you  at  all,  Scraggs?  " 

"Very  well,  then,"  replied  the  triumphant  Scraggs, 
"if  you  won't  sell,  then  buy  out  my  interest  an'  rid 
my  ship  o'  this  contaminatin'  encumbrance." 

"I  won't  buy  an'  I  won't  sell — leastways  until  I've 
had  time  to  consider,"  replied  Mr.  Gibney.  "I  smell  a 
rat  somewheres,  Scraggs,  an'  I  don't  intend  to  be  beat 
outer  my  rights.  Moreover,  I  question  McGuffey's 
right  to  dispose  o'  his  one-third  without  asking  my 
advice  an'  consent,  as  th'  promoter  o'  this  deal,  f'r  th' 
reason  that  by  his  act  he  aids  an'  abets  th'  formation 
o'  a  trust,  creates  a  monopoly,  an'  blocks  th'  wheels  o' 
free  trade;  all  of  which  is  agin  public  policy  an'  don't 
go  in  no  court  o'  law.  McGuffey,  give  Scraggs  back 
his  money  an'  keep  your  interest.  When  any  o'  th' 
parties  hereto  can  rig  up  a  sale  o'  these  two  Celestials, 
it's  his  duty  to  let  his  shipmates  in  on  th'  same.  He 
may  exact  a  five  per  cent,  commission  for  his  effort, 
if  he  wants  t'  be  rotten  mean,  an'  th'  company  has  t' 
pay  it  t'  him,  but  otherwise  we  all  whacks  up,  share  an' 
share  alike,  on  profits  an'  losses." 

"Right  you  are,  Gib,  my  hearty,"  responded  Mc- 
Guffey. "Scraggs,  we'll  just  call  that  sale  off,  f'r  th' 


166  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

sake  o'  harmony.     Here's  your  money.     I  ain't  chokin* 
off  Gibney's  steam  at  no  time,  not  if  I  know  it." 

"You  infernal  river  rats,"  snarled  Scraggs,  "I'll — 

m- 

"Stow  it,"  Mr.  Gibney  commanded.  "I  never  did 
see  the  like  o'  you,  Scraggs.  You're  all  right  an'  good 
comp'ny  right  up  until  somebody  declines  to  let  you 
have  your  own  way — an'  then,  right  off,  you  fly  in  a 
rage  an'  git  abusive.  I'm  gittin'  weary  o'  bein'  or- 
dered off  your  dirty  little  scow  an'  then  bein'  invited 
back  agin.  One  o'  these  bright  days,  when  you  start 
pulling  for  the  fiftieth  time  the  modern  parable  o'  the 
Prodigal  Son  an'  the  Fatted  Calf,  I'm  goin'  to  walk  out 
o'  the  cast  for  keeps.  Now,  if  I  was  you  an'  valued  the 
services  of  a  good  navigatin'  officer  an'  a  good  engineer, 
I'd  just  take  a  little  run  along  the  waterfront  an'  cool 
off.  Somethin'  tells  me  that  if  you  stick  around  here 
argyin'  with  me  you'll  come  to  grief — which  same  is  no 
idle  fancy,  you  snipe." 

Captain  Scraggs  hastened  to  take  advantage  of  this 
invitation,  for  it  stood  him  in  hand  to  do  so.  His 
plans,  due  to  Mr.  Gibney's  inexplicable  obstinacy,  had 
failed  to  mature  and  he  was  fearful  that  Gin  Seng,  after 
consulting  with  his  tong,  might  return  to  the  Maggie 
at  any  moment  and  ruin  the  deal  by  exposing  it  to 
Gibney  and  McGuffey;  therefore  Scraggs  resolved  to 
run  up  to  714  Dupont  Street  and  warn  Gin  Seng  to  let 
the  matter  lie  in  abeyance  for  a  couple  of  days,  alleging 
as  an  excuse  that  he  was  being  subjected,  for  some 
unknown  reason,  to  police  surveillance.  Scraggs  de- 
cided that  after  three  days  the  presence  of  the  two  dead 
Chinamen  aboard  the  Maggie  would  commence  to 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  167 

wear  on  the  Gibney  nerves  and  the  deadlock  over  the 
final  disposition  of  their  gruesome  purchase  would  re- 
sult in  Gibney  and  McGuffey  harkening  to  reason  and 
accepting  a  profitable  compromise.  If  it  should  cost 
him  a  leg,  Captain  Scraggs  was  resolved  to  make  those 
two  corpses  pay  for  the  repairs  in  the  Maggie's  engine 
room.  < 

Following  his  departure,  Messrs.  Gibney  and  Mc- 
Guffey sat  on  deck  smoking  and  striving  to  fathom  the 
hidden  design  back  of  Scraggs's  offer  to  buy  them  out. 
"He's  got  his  lines  fast  somewhere — you  can  bank 
on  that,"  was  Mr.  Gibney 's  comment,  for  he  knew  that 
Scraggs  never  made  a  move  that  meant  parting  with 
money  until  he  was  certain  he  saw  that  money,  some- 
what augmented,  returning  to  him.  "While  we  was 
away  he  rigged  up  some  kind  of  a  deal,  Bart.  It  stands 
to  reason  it  was  a  mighty  profitable  deal,  too,  other- 
wise old  Scraggsy  wouldn't  have  flew  into  such  a  rage 
when  I  blocked  him.  My  imagination  may  be  a  bit 
off  the  course  at  times,  Bart,  but  in  general,  if  there's 
a  deal  whale  floatin'  around  the  ship  I  can  smell  it." 

"What  do  you  make  out  o'  that  fat  Chinaman  cruisin' 
down  the  bulkhead  in  an  express  wagon  an*  another 
Chinaman  settin'  up  on  the  bridge  with  him?"  Mc- 
Guffey demanded.  "Seems  to  me  they're  comin', 
bows  on,  for  the  Maggie." 

"They  tell  me  to  deduct  somethin',  Bart.  Wait  a 
minute  till  we  see  if  they're  comin'  aboard,  v  If  they 
are " 

"They're  goin'  to  make  a  landin',  Gib." 

" — then  I  deduct  that  this  body-snatchin' 
Scraggs " 


168  THE  GREEN  PEA-PIRATES 

"They're  boardin'  us,  Gib." 

" — has  arranged  with  yon  fat  Chinaman  to  relieve 
us  o'  the  unwelcome  presence  of  his  defunct  friends. 
He's  gone  an9  hunted  up  the  relatives  an9  made  9em  come 
across — that's  what  he's  done.  The  dirty,  low,  schem- 
in'  granddaddy  of  all  the  foxes  in  Christendom!  Wasn't 
I  the  numbskull  not  to  think  of  it  myself?  " 

"'Tain't  too  late  to  mend  your  ways,  Gib.  I  don't 
see  Scraggs  nowhere,"  Mr.  McGuffey  suggested 
promptly.  "All  that  remains  for  me  an'  you  to  do, 
Gib,  is  to  imagine  the  price,  collect  the  money,  an' 
declare  a  dividend.  Quick,  Gib!  What '11  we  ask 
him?" 

"I'll  fish  around  an'  see  what  figger  Scraggs  charged 
him,"  the  cautious  Gibney  replied  and  stepped  to  the 
rail  to  meet  Gin  Seng,  for  it  was  indeed  he. 

"Sow-see,  sow-see,  hun-gay,"  Mr  Gibney  saluted 
the  Chinaman  in  a  facetious  attempt  to  talk  the  latter's 
language.  "Hello,  there,  John  Chinaman.  How's 
your  liver?  Captain  he  allee  same  get  tired;  he  no 
waitee.  Wha's  mallah,  John.  Too  long  time  you  no 
come.  You  heap  lazy  all  time." 

Gin  Seng  smiled  his  bland,  inscrutable  Chinese  smile. 
"You  ketchum  two  China  boy  in  box?"  he  queried. 

"We  have,"  boomed  McGuffey,  "an'  beautiful  speci- 
mens they  be." 

"No  money,  no  China  boy,"  Gibney  added  firmly. 

"Money  have  got.  Too  muchee  money  you  wantee. 
No  can  do.  Me  pay  two  hundred  dollah.  Five  hun- 
dred dollah  heap  muchee.  No  have  got." 

"Nothin'  doin',  John.  Five  hundred  dollars  an' 
not  a  penny  less.  Put  up  the  dough  or  beat  it." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  169 

Gin  Seng  expostulated,  lied,  evaded,  and  all  but  wept, 
but  Mr.  Gibney  was  obdurate  and  eventually  the  China- 
man paid  over  the  money  and  departed  with  the  re- 
mains of  his  countrymen.  "I  knew  he'd  come  through, 
Bart,"  Mr.  Gibney  declared.  i"They  got  to  ship  them 
stiffs  to  China  to  rest  alongside  their  ancestors  or  be 
in  Dutch  with  the  sperrits  o^  the  departed  forever 
after." 

"Do  we  have  to  split  this  swag  with  that  dirty 
Scraggs?"  McGuffey  wanted  to  know.  "Seein'  as 
how  he  tried  to  give  us  the  double  cross " 

"We'll  fix  Scraggsy — all  ship-shape  an'  legal  so's 
he  won't  have  no  comeback.  Quick,  grab  some  o'  them 
empty  potato  crates  an'  pile  'em  here  where  the  stiffs 
was  lyin'  an'  cover  'em  up  with  the  tarpaulin.  I  don't 
want  Scraggsy  to  think  the  corpses  is  gone  until  I've 
hooked  him  good  and  plenty." 

The  stage  was  set  in  a  few  minutes  and  the  conspir- 
ators set  themselves  to  await  the  return  of  Scraggs. 
They  had  not  long  to  wait.  Upon  his  arrival  at  Gin 
Seng's  place  of  business  Captain  Scraggs  had  been  in- 
formed that  Gin  Seng  had  gone  out  twenty  minutes 
before,  and  further  inquiry  revealed  the  portentous 
fact  that  he  had  departed  in  an  express  wagon.  Con- 
sumed with  misgivings  of  disaster,  Scraggs  returned  to 
the  Maggie  as  fast  as  the  California  Street  cable  car 
and  his  legs  could  carry  him;  as  he  came  aboard  his 
anxious  glance  sought  the  tarpaulin-covered  boxes  on 
deck  and  at  sight  of  them  his  mental  thermometer  rose 
at  once.  In  the  cabin  he  found  Mr.  Gibney  and  Mc- 
Guffey playing  cribbage.  They  laid  down  their  hands 
as  Scraggs  entered. 


170  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Well,  are  you  all  cooled  out  an'  willin'  to  listen  to 
reason,  Scraggsy,  old  business  man?"  Gibney  greeted 
him  cheerfully. 

"None  more  so,  Gib.  If  you've  got  a  proposition  to 
submit,  fire  away." 

"That's  comfortin',  Scraggsy.  Well,  me  an'  Bart's 
been  chewing  over  your  proposition  to  buy  out  our 
interest  in  them  two  Chinks,  an'  as  the  upshot  of  our 
talk  we  made  up  our  minds  to  sell,  but  not  for  no  measly 
little  five  bucks'  profit.  Now,  Scraggsy,  you  old  he- 
devil,  on  your  honour  as  between  shipmates,  you  got  to 
admit  five  dollars  ain't  hardly  worth  considerin'.  Come 
down  to  earth  now.  You  know  blamed  well  you're 
expectin'  to  pull  out  with  a  neat  profit  an'  that  you 
can  afford  to  boost  that  five-dollar  ante.  What  would 
you  consider  a  fair  price  for  a  one-third  interest?  Be 
honest  an'  fair,  Scraggsy." 

Captain  Scraggs  sat  down,  beaming.  With  Mr.  Gib- 
ney in  this  frame  of  mind  he  knew  he  could  do  anything 
with  him.  "Well,  now,  Gib,  my  dear  boy,  if  a  man  was 
to  get  twenty-five  dollars  for  his  interest,  I  should  say 
he  oughtn't  to  have  no  kickcomin'.  I  know  I  wouldn't." 

"If  you  was  sellin'  your  interest — imagine,  now,  that 
you're  me  an'  I'm  you — would  you  be  satisfied  to  sell 
for  twenty-five  dollars?" 

"I  certainly  would,  Gib,  my  boy.  Why,  that's  al- 
most four  hundred  per  cent,  profit,  an'  any  man  that'd 
turn  up  his  nose  at  a  four  hundred  per  cent,  profit  ought 
to  go  an'  have  his  head  examined  by  a  competent  nut 
doctor." 

"Well,  if  you  feel  that  way  about  it,  all  right,  Scrag- 
gsy," Mr.  Gibney  replied  slowly  and  put  his  hand  in  his 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  171 

pocket.  "As  I  remarked  previous,  while  you're  away 
me  an'  Bart  gets  chewin'  over  the  proposition  an'  de- 
cides we'll  sell.  An'  to  show  you  what  a  funny  world 
this  is,  while  me  an'  Bart's  settin'  on  deck  a-waitin'  for 
you  to  come  back  an5  close  with  us,  along  breezes  a  fat 
old  Chinaman  in  an  express  wagon  an'  offers  to  buy 
them  two  cases  of  Oriental  goods.  He  makes  me  an9 
Mac  what  we  considers  a  fair  offer  for  our  two-thirds. 
You  ain't  around  to  offer  suggestions  an'  as  it's  a  take^ 
it-or-leave-it  proposition  an'  two-thirds  o'  the  stock  is 
represented  in  me  an'  Mac  an'  accordin'  to  your  rulin' 
the  majority's  got  the  decidin'  vote,  we  ups  an'  smoth- 
ers his  offer.  Lemme  see,  now,"  he  continued,  and  got 
out  a  stub  of  lead  pencil  with  which  he  commenced 
figuring  on  the  white  oilcloth  table  cover.  "We  paid 
twenty  dollars  for  them  two  derelicts  an'  a  dollar  tow- 
age. That's  twenty-one  dollars,  an'  a  third  o*  twenty- 
one  is  seven,  an'  seven  dollars  from  twenty-five  leaves 
eighteen  dollars  comin'  to  you.  Here's  your  eighteen 
dollars,  Scraggsy,  you  lucky  old  vagabond — all  clear 
profit  on  a  neat  day's  work,  no  expense,  no  investment, 
no  back-breakin'  interest  charges  or  overhead,  an'  sold 
out  at  your  own  figger." 

Captain  Scraggs's  face  was  a  study  in  conflicting  emo- 
tions as  he  raked  in  the  eighteen  dollars.  "Thanks, 
Gib,"  he  said  frigidly. 

"Me  an'  Gib's  goin'  ashore  for  lunch  at  the  Marigold 
Cafe/'  McGuffey  announced  presently,  in  order  to 
break  the  horrible  silence  that  followed  Scraggsy's 
crushing  defeat.  "I'm  willin'  to  spend  some  o'  my 
profits  on  the  deal  an'  blow  you  to  a  lunch  with  a  small 
bottle  o'  Dago  Red  thrown  in.  How  about  it,  Scraggs?  " 


172  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

*'  I'm  on."  Scraggs  sought  to  throw  off  his  gloom  and 
appear  sprightly.  "What'd  you  peddle  them  two  ca- 
davers for,  Gib?" 

Mr.  Gibney  grinned  broadly  but  did  not  answer.  In 
effect,  his  grin  informed  Scraggs  that  that  was  none  of 
the  latter's  business — and  Scraggs  assimilated  the  hint. 
"Well,  at  any  rate,  Gib,  whatever  you  soaked  him,  it 
was  a  mighty  good  sale  an'  I  congratulate  you.  I 
think  mebbe  I  might  ha'  done  a  little  better  myself,  but 
then  it  ain't  every  day  a  feller  can  turn  an  eighteen- 
dollar  trick  on  a  corpse." 

"Comin'  to  lunch  with  us?"  McGuffey  demanded. 

"Sure.  Wait  a  minute  till  I  run  forward  an'  see  if 
the  lines  is  all  fast." 

He  stepped  out  of  the  cabin  and  presently  Gibney 
and  McGuffey  were  conscious  of  a  rapid  succession  of 
thuds  on  the  deck.  Gibney  winked  at  McGuffey. 

" 'Nothernew  hatgone  to  hell, "murmured  McGuffey. 


CHAPTER  XVHI 

IT  WAS  fully  a  week  before  Captain  Scraggs's  mental 
hemorrhage,  brought  on  every  time  his  mind  re- 
verted to  his  loss  on  the  "ginseng"  deal,  ceased. 
During  all  of  that  period  his  peregrinations  around  the 
Maggie  were  as  those  of  one  for  whom  the  sweets  of 
existence  had  turned  to  wormwood  and  vinegar.  Mr. 
Gibney  confided  to  McGuffey  that  it  was  a  toss-up 
whether  the  old  man  was  meditating  murder  or  suicide. 
In  fact,  so  depressed  was  Captain  Scraggs  that  he  lacked 
absolutely  the  ambition  to  "rag"  his  associates;  ob- 
serving which  Mr.  McGuffey  vouchsafed  the  opinion 
that  perhaps  Scraggsy  was  "teched  a  mite  in  his  head- 
block." 

"Don't  you  think  it,"  Mr.  Gibney  warned.  "If  old 
Scraggsy's  crazy  he's  crazy  like  a  fox.  What's  rilin' 
him  is  the  knowledge  that  he's  stung  to  the  heart  an' 
can't  admit  it  without  at  the  same  time  admittin'  he'd 
cooked  up  a  deal  to  double-cross  us.  He's  just  a-bustin' 
with  the  thoughts  that's  accumulatin'  inside  him.  Right 
now  he'd  drown  his  sorrers  in  red  liquor  if  he  could  af- 
ford it." 

"He's  troubled  financially,  Gib." 

"Well,  you  know  who  troubled  him,  don't  you, 
Bart?" 

"I  mean  about  the  cost  o'  them  repairs  in  the  engine 
room.  Unless  he  can  come  through  in  thirty  days  with 

173 


174  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

the  balance  he  owes,  the  boiler  people  are  goin'  to  libel 
the  Maggie  to  protect  their  claim." 

Mr.  Gibney  arched  his  bushy  eyebrows.  "How  do 
you  know?"  he  demanded. 

"  He  was  a-tellin'  me,"  Mr.  McGuffey  admitted  weakly. 

"Well,  he  wasn't  a-tellin'  me."  Mr.  Gibney 's  tones 
were  ominous;  he  glared  at  his  friend  suspiciously  as 
from  the  Maggie's  cabin  issued  forth  Scraggsy 's  voice 
raised  in  song. 

"Hello!  The  old  boy's  thermometer's  gone  up, 
Bart.  Listen  at  him.  'Ever  o'  thee  he's  fondly  dream- 
in'.'  Somethin's  busted  the  spell  an'  I'll  bet  a  cooky 
it  was  ready  cash."  He  menaced  Mr.  McGuffey  with 
a  rigid  index  finger.  "Bart,"  he  demanded,  "did  you 
loan  Scraggsy  some  money?" 

The  honest  McGuffey  hung  his  head.  "A  little  bit," 
he  replied  childishly. 

"What  d'ye  call  a  little  bit?" 

"Three  hundred  dollars,  Gib." 

"Secured?" 

'He  gimme  his  note  at  eight  per  cent.  The  savin's 
bank  only  pays  four." 

"Is  the  note  secured  by  endorsement  or  collateral?" 

"No." 

"Hum-m-m!  Strange  you  didn't  say  nothin'  to  me 
about  this  till  I  had  to  pry  it  out  o'  you,  Bart.  How 
about  you?" 

"Well,  Scraggsy  was  feelin'  so  dog-goned  blue " 

"The  truth,"  Mr.  Gibney  insisted  firmly,  "the  truth, 
Bart." 

"Well,  Scraggsy  asked  me  not  to  say  anythin*  to  you 
about  it." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  175 

"Sure.  He  knew  I'd  kill  the  deal.  He  knew  bet- 
ter'n  to  try  to  nick  me  for  three  hundred  bucks  on  his 
danged,  worthless  note.  Bart,  why'd  you  do  it?" 

"Oh,  hell,  Gib,  be  a  good  feller,"  poor  McGuffey 
pleaded.  "Don't  be  too  hard  on  oP  Scraggsy." 

"We're  discussin'  you,  Bart.  'Pears  to  me  you've 
sort  o'  lost  confidence  in  your  old  shipmate,  ain't  you? 
'Pears  that  way  to  me  when  you  act  sneaky  like." 

McGuffey  bridled.     "I  ain't  a  sneak." 

"A  rose  by  any  other  name'd  be  just  as  sweet,"  Mr. 
Gibney  quoted.  "You  poor,  misguided  simp.  If  you 
ever  see  that  three  hundred  dollars  again  you'll  be  a  lot 
older'n  you  are  now.  However,  that  ain't  none  o'  my 
business.  The  fact  remains,  Bart,  that  you  conspired 
with  Scraggsy  to  keep  things  away  from  me,  which 
shows  you  ain't  the  man  I  thought  you  were,  so  from 
now  on  you  go  your  way  an'  I'll  go  mine." 

"I  got  a  right  to  do  as  I  blasted  please  with  my 
own  money,"  McGuffey  defended  hotly.  "I  ain't  no 
child  to  be  lectured  to." 

"  Considerin'  the  fact  that  you  wouldn't  have  had  the 
money  to  lend  if  it  hadn't  been  for  me,  I  allow  I'm  in- 
sulted when  you  use  the  said  money  to  give  aid  an'  com- 
fort to  my  enemy.  I'm  through." 

McGuffey,  smothered  in  guilt,  felt  nevertheless  that 
he  had  to  stand  by  his  guns,  so  to  speak.  "  Stay  through, 
if  you  feel  like  it,"  he  retorted.  "Where  d'ye  get 
that  chatter?  Ain't  I  free,  white,  an'  twenty-one  year 
old?" 

Mr.  Gibney  was  really  hurt.  "You  poor  boob,"  he 
murmured.  "It's  the  old  game  o'  settin9  a  beggar  on 
horseback  an'  seein'  him  ride  to  the  devil,  or  slippin'  a 


176  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

gold  ring  in  a  pig's  nose.  An'  I  figured  you  was  my 
friend!" 

"Well,  ain't  I?" 

"Fooey!  Fooey!  Don't  talk  to  me.  You'd  sell 
out  your  own  mother." 

"Them's  fightin'  words,  Gib." 

"Shut  up." 

"  Gib,  you  tryin'  to  pick  a  fight  with  me?  " 

"No,  but  I  would  if  I  thought  I  wouldn't  git  a  foot- 
race instead,"  Gibney  rejoined  scathingly.  "Gripes, 
what  a  double-crossin'  I  been  handed!  Honest,  Bart, 
when  it  comes  to  that  sort  o'  work  Scraggs  is  in  his  in- 
fancy. You  sure  take  the  cake." 

"I  ain't  got  the  heart  to  clout  you  an'  make  you  eat 
them  words,"  Mr.  McGuffey  declared  sorrowfully. 

"You  mean  you  ain't  got  the  guts,"  Mr.  Gibney  cor- 
rected him.  "Bart,  I  got  your  number.  Good-bye." 

Mr.  McGuffey  had  a  wild  impulse  to  cast  himself 
upon  the  Gibney  neck  and  weep,  but  his  honour  forbade 
any  such  weakness.  So  he  invited  Mr.  Gibney  to  be- 
take himself  to  a  region  several  degrees  hotter  than  the 
Maggie's  engine  room;  then,  because  he  feared  to  linger 
and  develop  a  sentimental  weakness,  he  turned  his  back 
abruptly  and  descended  to  the  said  engine  room. 

On  his  part,  Adelbert  P.  Gibney  entered  the  cabin 
and  glared  long  and  menacingly  at  Captain  Scraggs. 
"I'll  have  my  time,"  he  growled  presently.  "Give  it 
to  me  an'  give  it  quick." 

The  very  intonation  of  his  voice  warned  Scraggs  that 
the  present  was  not  a  time  for  argument  or  trifling. 
Silently  he  paid  Mr.  Gibney  the  money  due  him;  in 
equal  silence  the  navigating  officer  went  to  the  pilot 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  177 

house,  unscrewed  his  framed  certificate  from  the  wall, 
packed  it  with  his  few  belongings,  and  departed  for  Scab 
Johnny's  boarding  house. 

"Hello,"  Scab  Johnny  saluted  him  at  his  entrance. 
"Quit  the  Maggie?" 

Mr.  Gibney  nodded. 

"  Want  a  trip  to  the  dark  blue?  " 

"Lead  me  to  it,"  mumbled  Mr.  Gibney. 

"It'll  cost  you  twenty  dollars,  Gib.  Chief  mate  on 
the  Rose  of  Sharon,  bound  for  the  Galapagos  Islands 
sealing." 

"I'll  take  it,  Johnny."  Mr.  Gibney  threw  over  a 
twenty-dollar  bill,  went  to  his  room,  packed  all  of  his 
belongings,  paid  his  bill  to  Scab  Johnny,  and  within  the 
hour  was  aboard  the  schooner  Rose  of  Sharon.  Two 
hours  later  they  towed  out  with  the  tide. 

Poor  McGuffey  was  stunned  when  he  heard  the  news 
that  night  from  Scab  Johnny.  When  he  retailed  the 
information  to  Scraggs  next  morning,  Scraggs  was 
equally  perturbed.  He  guessed  that  McGuffey  and 
Gibney  had  quarrelled  and  he  had  the  poor  judgment  to 
ask  McGuffey  the  cause  of  the  row.  Instantly,  Mc- 
Guffey informed  him  that  that  was  none  of  his  dad- 
fetched  business — and  the  incident  was  closed. 

The  three  months  that  followed  were  the  most  har- 
rowing of  McGuffey 's  life.  Captain  Scraggs  knew  his 
engineer  would  not  resign  while  he,  Scraggs,  owed  him 
three  hundred  dollars ;  wherefore  he  was  not  too  particu- 
lar to  put  a  bridle  on  his  tongue  when  things  appeared 
to  go  wrong.  McGuffey  longed  to  kill  him,  but  dared 
not.  When,  eventually,  the  railroad  had  been  ex- 
tended sufficiently  far  down  the  coast  to  enable  the 


178  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

farmers  to  haul  their  goods  to  the  railroad  in  trucks,  the 
Maggie  automatically  went  out  of  the  green-pea  trade; 
simultaneously,  Captain  Scraggs' s  note  to  MeGuffey 
fell  due  and  the  engineer  demanded  payment.  Scraggs 
demurred,  pleading  poverty,  but  Mr.  MeGuffey  as- 
sumed such  a  threatening  attitude  that  reluctantly 
Scraggs  paid  him  a  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  on  ac- 
count, and  MeGuffey  extended  the  balance  one  year — 
and  quit. 

"See  that  you  got  that  hundred  and  fifty  an'  the 
interest  in  your  jeans  the  next  time  we  meet,"  he 
warned  Scraggs  as  he  went  overside. 

Time  passed.  For  a  month  the  Maggie  plied  regu- 
larly between  Bodega  Bay  and  San  Francisco  in  an 
endeavour  to  work  up  some  business  in  farm  and  dairy 
produce,  but  a  gasoline  schooner  cut  in  on  the  run  and 
declared  a  rate  war,  whereupon  the  Maggie  turned  her 
blunt  nose  riverward  and  for  a  brief  period  essayed 
some  towing  and  general  freighting  on  the  Sacramento 
and  San  Joaquin.  It  was  unprofitable,  however,  and 
at  last  Captain  Scraggs  was  forced  to  lay  his  darling 
little  Maggie  up  and  take  a  job  as  chief  officer  of  the 
ferry  steamer  Encinal,  plying  between  San  Francisco 
and  Oakland.  In  the  meantime,  Mr.  MeGuffey,  after 
two  barren  months  "on  the  beach,"  landed  a  job  as 
second  assistant  on  a  Standard  Oil  tanker  running  to 
the  West  Coast,  while  thrifty  Neils  Halvorsen  invested 
the  savings  of  ten  years  in  a  bay  scow  known  as  the 
Willie  and  Annie,  arrogated  to  himself  the  title  of 
captain,  and  proceeded  to  freight  hay,  grain,  and  pav- 
ing stones  from  Petaluma. 

The  old  joyous  days  of  the  green-pea  trade  were  gone 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  179 

forever,  and  many  a  night,  as  Captain  Scraggs  paced 
the  deck  of  the  ferryboat,  watching  the  ferry  tower 
loom  into  view,  or  the  scattered  lights  along  the  Ala- 
meda  shore,  he  thought  longingly  of  the  old  Maggie, 
laid  away,  perhaps  forever,  and  slowly  rotting  in  the 
muddy  waters  of  the  Sacramento.  And  he  thought  of 
Mr.  Gibney,  too,  away  off  under  the  tropic  stars,  lead- 
ing the  care-free  life  of  a  real  sailor  at  last,  and  of  Bar- 
tholomew McGuffey,  imbibing  "pulque"  in  the  "can- 
tina"  of  some  disreputable  cafe.  Captain  Scraggs 
never  knew  how  badly  he  was  going  to  miss  them  both 
until  they  were  gone,  and  he  had  nobody  to  fight  with 
except  Mrs.  Scraggs;  and  when  Mrs.  Scraggs  (to  quote 
Captain  Scraggs)  "slipped  her  cable"  in  her  forty-third 
year,  Captain  Scraggs  felt  singularly  lonesome  and  in  a 
mood  to  accept  eagerly  any  deviltry  that  might  offer. 

Upon  a  night,  which  happened  to  be  Scraggs's  night 
off,  and  when  he  was  particularly  lonely  and  inclined 
to  drown  his  sorrows  in  the  Bowhead  saloon,  he  was 
approached  by  Scab  Johnny,  and  invited  to  repair 
to  the  latter's  dingy  office  for  the  purpose  of  discussing 
what  Scab  Johnny  guardedly  referred  to  as  a  "propo- 
sition." 

Upon  arrival  at  the  office,  Captain  Scraggs  was  in- 
troduced to  a  small,  fierce-looking  gentleman  of  tropi- 
cal appearance,  who  owned  to  the  name  of  Don  Manuel 
Garcia  Lopez.  Scab  Johnny  first  pledged  Captain 
Scraggs  to  absolute  secrecy,  and  made  him  swear  by 
the  honour  of  his  mother  and  the  bones  of  his  father  not 
to  divulge  a  word  of  what  he  was  about  to  tell  him. 

Scab  Johnny  was  short  and  to  the  point.  He  stated 
that  as  Captain  Scraggs  was  doubtless  aware,  if  he  »e- 


180  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

rused  the  daily  papers  at  all,  there  was  a  revolution  rag- 
ing in  Mexico.  His  friend,  Senor  Lopez,  represented  the 
under-dogs  in  the  disturbance,  and  was  anxious  to  se- 
cure a  ship  and  a  nervy  sea  captain  to  land  a  shipment 
of  arms  in  Lower  California.  It  appeared  that  at  a  sale 
of  condemned  army  goods  held  at  the  arsenal  at  Benicia, 
Senor  Lopez  had,  through  Scab  Johnny,  purchased  two 
thousand  single-shot  Springfield  rifles  that  had  been 
retired  when  the  militia  regiments  took  up  the  Krag. 
The  Krag  in  turn  having  been  replaced  by  the  modern 
magazine  Springfield,  the  old  single-shot  Springfields, 
with  one  hundred  thousand  rounds  of  45-70  ball  cart- 
ridges, had  been  sold  to  the  highest  bidder.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  small  arms,  Lopez  had  at  present  in  a  ware- 
house three  machine  guns  and  four  3  inch  breech- 
loading  pieces  of  field  artillery  (the  kind  of  guns  gener- 
ally designated  as  a  "  jackass  battery,"  for  the  reason 
that  they  can  be  taken  down  and  transported  over 
rough  country  on  mules) — together  with  a  supply  of 
ammunition  for  same. 

"Now,  then,"  Scab  Johnny  continued,  "the  job  that 
confronts  us  is  to  get  these  munitions  down  to  our 
friends  in  Mexico.  You  know,  as  well  as  anybody, 
Scraggs,  that  while  our  government  makes  no  bones 
of  selling  a  lot  o'  retired  rifles  an5  ammunition,  neverthe- 
less it's  goin'  to  develop  a  heap  o'  curiosity  regardin' 
what  we  do  with  'em.  If  we're  caught  sneakin'  'em 
into  Mexico  we'll  spend  the  rest  of  our  lives  in  a  Federal 
penitentiary  for  bustin'  the  neutrality  laws.  All  them 
rifles  an'  the  ammunition  is  cased  an'  in  my  basement 
at  the  present  moment — and  the  government  agents 
knows  they're  there.  But  that  ain't  troubling  me.  I 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  181 

rent  the  saloon  next  door  an'  I'll  cut  a  hole  through  the 
wall  from  my  cellar  into  the  saloon  cellar,  carry  'em 
through  the  saloon  into  the  backyard,  an'  out  into  the 
alley  half  a  block  away.  I'm  watched,  but  I  got  the 
watcher  spotted — only  he  don't  know  it.  Our  only 
trouble  is  a  ship.  How  about  the  Maggie  ? " 

"I'd  have  to  spend  about  two  thousand  dollars  on 
her  to  put  her  in  condition  for  the  voyage,"  Scraggs 
replied. 

"Can  do,"  Scab  Johnny  answered  him  briefly,  and 
Senor  Lopez  nodded  acquiescence.  "You  discharge 
on  a  lighter  at  Descanso  Bay  about  twenty  miles  below 
Ensenada.  What'll  it  cost  us? " 

"Ten  thousand  dollars,  in  addition  to  fixin'  up  the 
Maggie.  Half  down  and  half  on  delivery.  I'm  riskin' 
my  hide  an'  my  ticket  an'  I  got  to  be  well  paid  for  it." 

Again  Senor  Lopez  nodded.  What  did  he  care?  It 
wasn't  his  money. 

"I'll  furnish  you  with  our  own  crew  just  before  you 
sail,"  Scab  Johnny  continued.  "Get  busy." 

"Gimme  a  thousand  for  preliminary  expenses," 
Scraggs  demanded.  "After  that  Speed  is  my  middle 


name." 


The  charming  Senor  Lopez  produced  the  money  in 
crisp  new  bills  and,  perfect  gentleman  that  he  was,  de- 
manded no  receipt.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Scraggs  would 
not  have  given  him  one. 

The  two  weeks  that  followed  were  busy  ones  for 
Captain  Scraggs.  The  day  after  his  interview  with 
Scab  Johnny  and  Don  Manuel  he  engaged  an  engi- 
neer and  a  deck  hand  and  went  up  the  Sacramento 
to  bring  the  Maggie  down  to  San  Francisco.  Upon 


182  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

her  arrival  she  was  hauled  out  on  the  marine  ways  at 
Oakland  creek,  cleaned,  caulked,  and  some  new  copper 
sheathing  put  on  her  bottom.  She  was  also  given  a 
dash  of  black  paint,  had  her  engines  and  boilers  thor- 
oughly overhauled  and  repaired,  and  shipped  a  new 
propeller  that  would  add  at  least  a  knot  to  her  speed. 
Also,  she  had  her  stern  rebuilt.  And  when  everything 
was  ready,  she  slipped  down  to  the  Black  Diamond  coal 
bunkers  and  took  on  enough  fuel  to  carry  her  to  San 
Pedro;  after  which  she  steamed  across  the  bay  to  San 
Francisco  and  tied  up  at  Fremont  Street  wharf. 

The  cargo  came  down  in  boxes,  variously  labelled. 
There  were  "agricultural  implements,"  a  "cream  sepa- 
rator," a  "windmill,"  and  half  a  dozen  "sewing- 
machines,"  in  addition  to  a  considerable  number  of  kegs 
alleged  to  contain  nails.  Most  of  it  came  down  after 
five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  after  the  wharfinger  had 
left  the  dock,  and  as  nothing  but  a  disordered  brain 
would  have  suspected  the  steamer  Maggie  of  an  attempt 
to  break  the  neutrality  laws,  the  entire  cargo  was  gotten 
aboard  safely  and  without  a  jot  of  suspicion  attaching 
to  the  vessel. 

When  all  was  in  readiness,  Captain  Scraggs  incon- 
tinently "fired"  his  deckhand  and  engineer  and  in- 
ducted aboard  a  new  crew,  carefully  selected  for  their 
filibuster  virtues  by  Scab  Johnny  himself.  Then 
while  the  new  engineer  got  up  steam,  Captain  Scraggs 
went  up  to  Scab  Johnny's  office  for  his  final  instructions 
and  the  balance  of  the  first  instalment  due  him. 

Briefly,  his  instructions  were  as  follows:  Upon  arrival 
off  Point  Dume  on  the  southern  California  coast,  he  was 
to  stand  in  close  to  Dume  Cove  under  cover  of  darkness 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  183 

and  show  two  green  lights  on  the  masthead.  A  man 
would  come  alongside  presently  in  a  small  boat,  and 
climb  aboard.  This  man  would  be  the  supercargo  and 
the  confidential  envoy  of  the  insurrecto  junta  in  Los 
Angeles.  Captain  Scraggs  was  to  look  to  this  man  for 
orders  and  to  obey  him  implicitly,  as  upon  this  depended 
the  success  of  the  expedition.  This  agent  of  the  insur- 
recto forces  would  pay  him  the  balance  of  five  thousand 
dollars  due  him  immediately  upon  discharge  of  the  cargo 
at  Descanso  Bay.  There  was  a  body  of  insurrecto 
troops  encamped  at  Megano  rancho,  a  mile  from  the 
beach,  and  they  would  have  a  barge  and  small  boats 
in  readiness  to  lighter  the  cargo.  Scab  Johnny  ex- 
plained that  he  had  promised  the  crew  double  wages 
and  a  bonus  of  a  hundred  dollars  each  for  the  trip.  Don 
Manuel  Garcia  Lopez  paid  over  the  requisite  amount 
of  cash,  and  half  an  hour  later  the  Maggie  was  steaming 
down  the  bay  on  her  perilous  mission. 

The  sun  was  setting  as  they  passed  out  the  Golden 
Gate  and  swung  down  the  south  channel,  and  with 
the  wind  on  her  beam,  the  aged  Maggie  did  nine  knots. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day  she  was  off 
the  Santa  Barbara  channel,  and  about  midnight  she 
ran  in  under  the  lee  of  Point  Dume  and  lay  to.  The 
mate  hung  out  the  green  signal  lights,  and  in  about  an 
hour  Captain  Scraggs  heard  the  sound  of  oars  grating 
in  rowlocks.  A  few  minutes  later  a  stentorian  voice 
hailed  them  out  of  the  darkness.  Captain  Scraggs  had 
a  Jacob's  ladder  slung  over  the  side  and  the  mate  and 
two  deckhands  hung  over  the  rail  with  lanterns,  light- 
ing up  the  surrounding  sea  feebly  for  the  benefit  of  the 
lone  adventurer  who  sat  muffled  in  a  great  coat  in  the 


184  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

stern  of  a  small  boat  rowed  by  two  men.  There  was  a 
very  slight  sea  running,  and  presently  the  men  in  the 
small  boat,  watching  their  opportunity  by  the  ghostly 
light  of  the  lanterns,  ran  their  frail  craft  in  under  the  lee 
of  the  Maggie.  The  figure  in  the  stern  sheets  leaped  on 
the  instant,  caught  the  Jacob's  ladder,  climbed  nimbly 
over  the  side,  and  swore  heartily  in  very  good  English 
as  his  feet  struck  the  deck. 

"What's  the  name  of  this  floating  coffin?"  he  de- 
manded in  a  chain-locker  voice.  It  was  quite  evident 
that  even  in  the  darkness,  where  her  many  defects  were 
mercifully  hidden,  the  Maggie  did  not  suit  the  special 
envoy  of  the  Mexican  insurrectos. 

"American  steamer  Maggie,"  said  the  skipper  frig- 
idly. "Scraggs  is  my  name,  sir.  And  if  you  don't 
like  my  vessel " 

"Scraggsy!"  roared  the  special  envoy.  "Scraggsy, 
for  a  thousand!  And  the  old  Maggie  of  all  boats! 
Scraggsy,  old  tarpot,  your  fin!  Duke  me,  you  dog- 
goned  old  salamander!" 

"Gib,  my  dear  boy!"  shrieked  Captain  Scraggs  and 
cast  himself  into  Mr.  Gibney's  arms  in  a  transport  of  joy. 
Mr.  Gibney,  for  it  was  indeed  he,  pounded  Captain 
Scraggs  on  the  back  with  one  great  hand  while  with 
the  other  he  crushed  the  skipper's  fingers  to  a  pulp, 
the  while  he  called  on  all  the  powers  of  darkness  to  wit- 
ness that  never  in  all  his  life  had  he  received  such  a 
pleasant  surprise. 

It  was  indeed  a  happy  moment.  All  the  old  animosi- 
ties and  differences  were  swallowed  up  in  the  glad  hand- 
clasp with  which  Mr.  Gibney  greeted  his  old  shipmate 
of  the  green-pea  trade.  Scraggs  took  him  below  at  once 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  185 

and  they  pledged  each  other's  health  in  a  steaming 
kettle  of  grog,  while  the  Maggie,  once  more  on  her 
course,  rolled  south  toward  Descanso  Bay. 

"Well,  I'll  be  keel-hauled  and  skull-dragged!"  said 
Captain  Scraggs,  producing  a  box  of  two-for-a-quarter 
cigars  and  handing  it  to  Mr.  Gibney.  "Gib,  my 
dear  boy,  wherever  have  you  been  these  last  three 
years?" 

"Everywhere,"  replied  Mr.  Gibney.  "I  have  been 
all  over,  mostly  in  Panama  and  the  Gold  Coast.  For 
two  years  I've  been  navigatin'  officer  on  the  Colombian 
gunboat  Bogota.  When  I  was  a  young  feller  I  did  a 
hitch  in  the  navy  and  become  a  first-class  gunner,  and 
then  I  went  to  sea  in  the  merchant  marine,  and  got  my 
mate's  license,  and  when  I  flashed  my  credentials  on  the 
president  of  the  United  States  of  Colombia  he  give  me 
a  job  at  "dos  cienti  pesos  oro"  per.  That's  Spanish 
for  two  hundred  bucks  gold  a  month.  I've  been 
through  two  wars  and  I  got  a  medal  for  sinkin'  a  fishin' 
smack.  I  talk  Spanish  just  like  a  native,  I  don't  drink 
no  more  to  speak  of,  and  I've  been  savin'  my  money. 
Some  day  when  I  get  the  price  together  I'm  goin'  back 
to  San  Francisco,  buy  me  a  nice  little  schooner,  and  go 
tradin'  in  the  South  Seas.  How  they  been  comin'  with 
you,  Scraggsy,  old  kiddo?" 

"  Lovely,"  replied  Scraggs.  "Just  simply  grand.  I'll 
pull  ten  thousand  out  of  this  job." 

Mr.  Gibney  whistled  shrilly  through  his  teeth. 

"That's  the  ticket  for  soup,"  he  said  admiringly.  "I 
tell  you,  Scraggs,  this  soldier  of  fortune  business  may  be 
all  right,  but  it  don't  amount  to  much  compared  to  be- 
ing a  sailor  of  fortune,  eh,  Scraggsy?  Just  as  soon  as  I 


186  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

heard  there  was  a  revolution  in  Mexico  I  quit  my  job 
in  the  Colombian  navy  and  come  north  for  the  pick- 
in's.  .  .  .  No,  I  ain't  been  in  their  rotten  little 
army.  .  .  .  D'ye  think  I  want  to  go  around  killin' 
people?  .  .  .  There  ain't  no  pleasure  gettin'  killed 
in  the  mere  shank  of  a  bright  and  prosperous  life  .  .  . 
a  dead  here  don't  gather  no  moss,  Scraggsy.  Reads 
all  right  in  books,  but  it  don't  appeal  none  to  me.  I'm 
for  peace  every  time,  so  right  away  as  soon  as  I  heard 
of  the  trouble,  says  I  to  myself:  'Things  has  been  pretty 
quiet  in  Mexico  for  twenty  years,  and  they're  due  to 
shift  things  around  pretty  much.  What  them  peons 
need  is  a  man  with  an  imagination  to  help  'em  out,  and 
if  they've  got  the  money,  Adelbert  P.  Gibney  can  sup- 
ply the  brains.'  So  I  comes  north  to  Los  Angeles,  shows 
the  insurrecto  junta  my  medal  and  my  honourable  dis- 
charges from  every  ship  I'd  ever  been  in,  includin'  the 
gunboart  Bogota,  and  I  talked  big  and  swelled  around 
and  told  'em  to  run  in  some  arms  and  get  busy.  I 
framed  it  all  up  for  this  filibuster  trip  you're  on,  Scrag- 
gsy, only  I  never  did  hear  that  they'd  picked  on  you.  I 
told  that  coffee-coloured  rat  of  a  Lopez  man  to  hunt  up 
Scab  Johnny  and  he'd  set  him  right,  but  if  anybody  had 
told  me  you  had  the  nerve  to  run  the  Maggie  in  on  this 
deal,  Scraggsy,  I'd  a-called  him  a  liar.  Scraggs,  you're 
mucho-bueno — that  is,  you're  all  right.  I'm  so  used  to 
talkin'  Spanish  that  I  forget  myself.  Still,  there's  one 
end  of  this  little  deal  that  I  ain't  exactly  explained  to  all 
hands.  If  I'd  a-known  they  was  charterin'  the  Maggie, 
I'd  have  blocked  the  game." 

"Why?"  demanded  Captain  Scraggs,  instantly  on 
the  defensive. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  187 

"Not  that  I'm  holdin'  any  grudge  agin  you,  Scrag- 
gsy," said  Mr.  Gibney  affably,  "but  I  wouldn't  a-had 
you  no  more  now  than  I  would  when  we  was  runnin' 
in  the  green-pea  trade.  It's  because  you  ain't  got  no 
imagination,  and  the  Maggie  ain't  big  enough  for  my 
purpose.  Havin'  the  Maggie  sort  of  puts  a  crimp  in 
my  plans." 

"Rot,"  snapped  Captain  Scraggs.  "I've  had  the 
Maggie  overhauled  and  shipped  a  new  wheel,  and  she's 
a  mighty  smart  little  boat,  I'll  tell  you.  I'll  land  them 
arms  in  Descanso  Bay  all  right." 

"I  know  you  will,"  said  Mr.  Gibney  sadly.  "That's 
just  what  hurts.  You  see,  Scraggsy,  I  never  intended 
'em  for  Descanso  Bay  in  the  first  place.  There's  a  nice 
healthy  little  revolution  fomentin'  down  in  the  United 
States  of  Colombia,  with  Adelbert  P.  Gibney  playin' 
both  ends  to  the  middle.  And  there's  a  dog-hole  down 
on  the  Gold  Coast  where  I  intended  to  land  this  cargo, 
but  now  that  Scab  Johnny's  gone  to  work  and  sent  me 
a  bay  scow  instead  of  a  sea-goin'  steamer,  I'm  in  the 
nine-hole  instead  o'  dog-hole.  I  can  never  get  as  far  as 
the  Gold  Coast  with  the  Maggie.  She  can't  carry  coal 
enough  to  last  her." 

"But  I  thought  these  guns  and  things  was  for  the 
Mexicans, "  quavered  Captain  Scraggs.  "  Scab  Johnny 
and  Lopez  told  me  they  was." 

Mr.  Gibney  groaned  and  hid  his  face  in  his  hands. 
"Scraggsy,"  he  said  sadly,  "it's  a  cinch  you  ain't  used 
the  past  four  years  to  stimulate  that  imagination  of 
yours.  Of  course  they  was  purchased  for  the  Mexi- 
cans, but  what  was  to  prevent  me  from  lettin'  the  Mexi- 
cans pay  for  them,  help  out  on  the  charter  of  the  boat, 


188  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

and  then  have  me  divert  the  cargo  to  the  United  States 
of  Colombia,  where  I  can  sell  'em  at  a  clear  profit,  the 
cost  bein'  nothin'  to  speak  of?  Now  you  got  to  come 
buttin'  in  with  the  Maggie,  and  what  happens?  Why, 
I  got  to  be  honest,  of  course.  I  got  to  make  good  on  my 
bluff,  and  what's  in  it  for  me?  Nothin'  but  glory.  Can 
you  hock  a  chunk  of  glory  for  ham  and  eggs,  Phineas 
Scraggs?  Not  on  your  life.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  you 
buttin'  in  with  your  blasted,  rotten  hulk  of  a  fresh-water 
skiff,  I'd " 

Mr.  Gibney  paused  ominously  and  savagely  bit  the 
end  of  his  cigar.  As  for  Captain  Scraggs,  every  drop 
of  blood  in  his  body  was  boiling  in  defense  of  the  ship  he 
loved. 

"You're  a  pirate,"  he  shrilled. 

"And  you're  just  as  big  a  hornet  as  you  ever  was," 
replied  Mr.  Gibney.  "Always  buzzin'  around  where 
you  ain't  wanted.  But  still,  what's  the  use  of  bawlin' 
over  spilt  milk?  We'll  drop  into  San  Diego  for  a  cou- 
ple of  hours  and  take  on  coal,  and  about  sunset  we'll 
pull  out  and  make  the  run  down  to  Descanso  Bay  in 
the  dark.  We  might  as  well  forget  the  past  and  put 
this  thing  through  as  per  program.  Only  I  saw  visions 
of  a  schooner  all  my  own,  Scraggsy,  and — well,  what's 
the  use?  What's  the  use?  Scraggsy,  you're  a  nat- 
ural-born mar-plot.  Always  buttin'  in,  buttin'  in, 
buttin'  in,  fit  for  nothin'  but  the  green-pea  trade.  How- 
ever, I  guess  I  can  turn  into  my  old  berth  and  get  some 
sleep.  Put  the  old  girl  under  a  slow  bell  and  save  your 
coal.  We'll  have  to  fool  away  four  or  five  hours  in  San 
Diego  anyhow  and  there  ain't  no  sense  in  crowdin'  the 
old  hulk." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  189 

"Gib,"  said  Captain  Scraggs,  "was  that  really  your 
lay — to  steal  the  cargo,  double-cross  the  insurrecto 
junta,  and  sell  out  to  a  furrin'  country?" 

"Of  course  it  was,"  said  Mr.  Gibney  pettishly. 
"  They  all  do  such  things  in  the  banana  republics.  Why 
should  I  be  an  exception?  There's  half  a  dozen  differ- 
ent gangs  fightin'  each  other  and  the  government  in 
Mexico,  and  if  I  don't  deliver  these  arms,  just  see  all 
the  lives  I'll  be  savin'.  And  after  I  got  the  cargo 
into  Colombia  and  sold  it,  I  could  have  peached 
on  the  rebels  there,  and  got  a  reward  for  it,  and 
saved  a  lot  more  lives,  and  come  away  rich  and  re- 
spected." 

"By  the  Lord  Harry,"  said  Captain  Scraggs,  "but 
you've  got  an  imagination,  Gib.  I'll  swear  to  that. 
Gib,  I  take  off  my  hat  to  you.  You're  all  tight  and 
shipshape  and  no  loose  ends  bobbin'  around  you.  Don't 
tell  me  th'  scheme's  got  t'  fall  through,  Gib.  Great 
snakes,  don't  tell  nie  that.  Ain't  there  some  way  o' 
gettin'  around  it?  There  must  be.  Why,  Gib,  my 
dear  boy,  I  never  heard  of  such  a  grand  lay  in  my  life. 
It's  a  absolute  winner.  Don't  give  up,  Gib.  Oil  up 
your  imagination  and  find  a  way  out.  Let's  get  to- 
gether, Gib,  and  make  a  little  money.  Dang  it  all,  Gib, 
I  been  lonesome  ever  since  I  seen  you  last." 

"Well,"  replied  Mr.  Gibney,  "I'll  turn  in  and  try  to 
scheme  a  way  out,  but  I  don't  hold  out  no  hope.  Not 
a  ray  of  it.  I'm  afraid,  Scraggsy,  we've  got  to  be  hon- 
est." 

Saying  which,  Mr.  Gibney  hopped  up  into  his  berth, 
stretched  his  huge  legs,  and  fell  asleep  with  his  clothes 
on.  Captain  Scraggs  looked  him  over  with  the  closest 


190  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

approach  to  affection  that  had  ever  lightened  his  cold 
gray  eye,  and  sighing  heavily,  presently  went  on  deck. 
As  he  passed  up  the  companion-way,  the  first  mate 
heard  him  murmur: 

"  Gib's  a  fine  lad.    I'll  be  dad  burned  if  he  ain't." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

A  SIX  o'clock  next  morning  the  Maggie  was 
rounding  Point  Loma,  heading  in  for  San  Diego 
Bay,  and  Captain  Scraggs  went  below  and 
awakened  Mr.  Gibney. 

"What's  for  breakfast,  Scraggsy,  old  kid?"  asked 
Mr.  Gibney. 

"Fried  eggs,"  said  Captain  Scraggs,  remembering 
Mr.  Gibney's  partiality  for  that  form  of  nutriment  in 
the  vanished  days  of  the  green-pea  trade.  "Ham  an' 
fried  eggs  an'  a  sizzlin'  pot  o'  coffee.  Thought  a  way 
out  o'  our  mess,  Gib?" 

"Not  yet,"  replied  Mr.  Gibney  as  he  rolled  out  of 
bed,  "but  eggs  is  always  stimulatin',  and  I  don't  give 
up  hope  on  a  full  stomach." 

An  hour  later  they  were  tied  up  under  the  coal 
bunkers,  and  at  Mr.  Gibney's  suggestion  some  twenty 
tons  of  sacked  coal  were  piled  on  top  of  the  fo'castle 
head  and  on  the  main  deck  for'd,  in  case  of  emergency. 
They  lay  in  the  harbour  all  day  until  about  four  o'clock, 
when  Mr.  Gibney,  by  virtue  of  his  authority  as  super- 
cargo, ordered  the  lines  cast  off  and  the  Maggie  steamed 
out  of  the  harbour.  Off  Point  Loma  they  veered  to  the 
south,  leaving  the  Coronado  Islands  on  the  starboard 
quarter,  ten  miles  to  the  west.  Mr.  Gibney  was  below 
with  Captain  Scraggs,  battling  with  the  problem  that 
confronted  them,  when  the  mate  stuck  his  head  down 

191 


192  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

the  companion-way  to  report  a  large  power  schooner 
coming  out  from  the  lee  of  the  Coronados  and  standing 
off  on  a  course  calculated  to  intercept  the  Maggie  in  an 
hour  or  two. 

Captain  Scraggs  and  Mr.  Gibney  sprang  up  on  the 
bridge  at  once,  the  latter  with  Scraggs's  long  glass  up 
to  his  eye. 

"She  was  hove  to  under  the  lee  of  the  island,  and  the 
minute  we  came  out  of  the  harbour  and  turned  south 
she  come  nosin'  after  us,"  said  the  mate. 

"Hum!"  muttered  Mr.  Gibney.  " Gasoline  schooner. 
Two  masts  and  baldheaded.  About  a  hundred  and 
twenty  ton,  I  should  say,  and  showin'  a  pretty  pair  of 
heels.  There's  somethin'  up  for'd — yes — let  me  see — 
ye-e-es,  there's  two  more — holy  sailor!  it's  a  gunboat! 
One  of  those  doggoned  gasoline  coast  patrol  boats,  and 
there's  the  Federal  flag  flying  at  the  fore." 

"Let's  put  back  to  San  Diego  Bay,"  quavered  Cap- 
tain Scraggs.  "I'll  be  durned  if  I  relish  the  idee  o' 
losin'  the  Maggie." 

"Too  late,"  said  the  philosophical  Gibney.  "We're 
in  Mexican  waters  now,  and  she  can  cut  us  off  from  the 
bay.  The  only  thing  we  can  do  is  to  run  for  it  and  try 
to  lose  her  after  dark.  Tell  the  engineer  to  crowd  her 
to  the  limit.  There  ain't  much  wind  to  speak  of,  so  I 
guess  we  can  manage  to  hold  our  own  for  a  while. 
Nevertheless,  I've  got  a  hunch  that  we'll  be  overhauled. 
Of  course,  you  ain't  got  no  papers  to  show,  Scraggs, 
and  they'll  search  the  cargo,  and  confiscate  us,  and 
shoot  the  whole  bloomin'  crowd  of  us.  I  bet  a  dollar 
to  a  doughnut  that  fel  ow  Lopez  sold  us  out,  after  the 
fashion  of  the  country.  I  can't  help  thinkin'  that 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  193 

that  gunboat  was  there  just  a-waitin*  for  us  to  show 
up." 

For  several  minutes  Mr.  Gibney  continued  to  study 
the  gunboat  until  there  could  no  longer  be  any  doubt 
that  she  intended  to  overhaul  them.  He  made  out 
that  she  had  a  long  gun  for'd,  with  a  battery  of  two  one- 
pounders  on  top  of  her  house  and  something  on  her 
port  quarter  that  looked  like  a  Maxim  rapid-fire  gun. 
About  twenty  men,  dressed  in  white  cloth,  could  be 
seen  on  her  decks. 

Presently  Mr.  Gibney  was  interrupted  by  Captain 
Scraggs  pulling  at  his  sleeve. 

"You  was  a  gunner  once,  wasn't  you,  Gib?"  said 
Captain  Scraggs  in  a  trembling  voice. 

"You  bet  I  was,"  replied  Mr.  Gibney.  "  My  shootin' 
won  the  trophy  three  times  in  succession  when  I  was  on 
the  old  Kearsarge.  If  I  had  one  good  gun  and  a  half- 
decent  crew,  I'd  knock  that  gunboat  silly  before  she 
knew  what  had  hit  her." 

"Gib,  I've  got  an  idee,"  said  Captain  Scraggs. 

"Out  with  it,"  said  Mr.  Gibney  cheerfully. 

"There  was  four  little  cannon  lowered  into  the  hold 
the  last  thing  before  we  put  on  the  main  hatch,  and  the 
ammunition  to  load  'em  with  is  stowed  in  the  after  hold 
and  very  easy  to  get  at." 

Mr.  Gibney  turned  a  beaming  face  to  the  skipper, 
reached  out  his  arms,  and  folded  Captain  Scraggs  in  an 
embrace  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a  grizzly  bear. 
There  were  genuine  tears  of  admiration  in  his  eyes  and 
in  his  voice  when  he  could  master  his  emotions  suffi- 
ciently to  speak. 

"Scraggsy,  old  tarpot,  you've  been  a  long  time  comin' 


194  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

through  on  the  imagination,  but  you've  sure  arrived 
with  all  sail  set.  I  always  thought  you  had  about  as 
much  nerve  as  an  oyster,  but  I  take  it  all  back.  We'll 
get  out  them  two  little  jackass  guns  and  fight  a  naval 
battle,  and  if  I  don't  sink  that  Mexican  gunboat,  and 
save  the  Maggie,  feed  me  to  the  sharks,  for  I  won't  be 
worthy  of  the  blood  that's  in  me.  Pipe  all  hands  and 
lift  off  that  main  hatch.  Reeve  a  block  and  tackle 
through  that  cargo  gaff  and  stand  by  to  heave  out  the 
guns." 

But  Captain  Scraggs  had  repented  of  his  rash  sugges- 
tion almost  the  moment  he  made  it.  Only  the  dire 
necessity  of  desperate  measures  to  save  the  Maggie 
had  prompted  him  to  put  the  idea  into  Mr.  Gibney's 
head,  and  when  he  saw  the  avidity  with  which  the  latter 
set  to  work  clearing  for  action,  his  terror  knew  no 
bounds. 

"Oh,  Gib,"  he  wailed,  "I'm  afraid  we  better  not  try 
to  lick  that  gunboat  after  all.  They  might  sink  us  with 
all  hands." 

"Rats!"  said  Mr.  Gibney,  as  he  leaped  into  the  hold. 
"Bear  a  light  here  until  I  can  root  out  the  wheels  of 
these  guns.  Here  they  are,  labelled  'cream  separator.' 
Stand  by  with  that  sling  to " 

"But,  Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  protested  Captain  Scraggs, 
"this  is  insanity!" 

"I  know  it,"  said  Mr.  Gibney  calmly.  "Scraggsy, 
you're  perfectly  right.  But  I'd  sooner  die  fightin' 
than  let  them  stand  me  up  agin  a  wall  in  Ensenada. 
We're  filibusters,  Scraggsy,  and  we're  caught  with  the 
goods.  I,  for  one,  am  goin'  down  with  the  steamer 
Maggie9  but  I'm  goin'  down  fightin'  like  a  bear." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  195 

"Maybe — maybe  we  can  outrun  her,  Gib,"  half 
sobbed  Captain  Scraggs. 

"No  hope,"  replied  Mr.  Gibney.  "Fight  and  die  is 
the  last  resort.  She's  eight  miles  astern  and  gainin' 
every  minute,  and  when  she's  within  two  miles  she'll 
open  fire.  Of  course  we  won't  be  hit  unless  they've  got 
a  Yankee  gunner  aboard." 

"Let's  run  up  the  Stars  and  Stripes  and  dare  'em  to 
fire  on  us,"  said  Captain  Scraggs. 

"No,"  said  Mr.  Gibney  firmly,  "my  old  man  died 
for  the  flag  an'  I've  sailed  under  it  too  long  to  hide  be- 
hind it  when  I'm  in  Dutch.  We'll  fight.  If  you  was 
ever  navigatin'  officer  on  a  Colombian  gunboat, 
Scraggs,  you'd  realize  what  it  means  to  run  from  a 
Mexican." 

Captain  Scraggs  said  nothing  further.  Perhaps  he 
was  a  little  ashamed  of  himself  in  the  face  of  Mr.  Gib- 
ney's  simple  faith  in  his  own  ability;  perhaps  in  his 
veins,  all  unknown,  there  flowed  a  taint  of  the  heroic 
blood  of  some  forgotten  sea-dog.  Be  that  as  it  may, 
something  did  swell  in  his  breast  when  Mr.  Gibney 
spoke  of  the  flag  and  his  scorning  to  hide  behind  it, 
and  Scraggs's  snaggle  teeth  came  together  with  a  snap. 

"All  right,  Gib,  my  boy,"  he  said  solemnly,  "I'm 
with  you.  Mrs.  Scraggs  has  slipped  her  cable  and  there 
ain't  nobody  to  mourn  for  me.  But  if  we  can't  fight 
under  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  by  the  tail  of  the  Great 
Sacred  Bull,  we'll  have  a  flag  of  our  own,"  and  leaving 
Mr.  Gibney  and  the  crew  to  get  the  guns  on  deck,  Cap- 
tain Scraggs  ran  below.  He  appeared  on  deck  pres- 
ently with  a  long  blue  burgee  on  which  was  emblaz- 
oned in  white  letters  the  single  word  Maggie.  It 


196  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

was  his  own  houseflag,  and  with  trembling  hands  he 
ran  it  to  the  fore  and  cast  its  wrinkled  folds  to  the 
breeze  of  heaven. 

"Good  old  dishcloth!"  shrieked  Mr.  Gibney.  "She 
never  comes  down." 

"Damned  if  she  does,"  said  Captain  Scraggs  pro- 
fanely. 

While  all  this  was  going  on  a  deckhand  had  reeved 
a  block  and  tackle  through  the  end  of  the  cargo  gaff 
and  passed  it  to  the  winch.  The  two  guns  came  out  of 
the  hold  in  jig  time,  and  while  Scraggs  and  one  deck- 
hand opened  the  after  hold  and  got  out  ammunition 
for  the  guns,  Mr.  Gibney,  assisted  by  the  other  deck- 
hand, proceeded  to  put  one  of  the  guns  together.  He 
was  shrewd  enough  to  realize  that  he  would  have  to 
do  practically  all  of  the  work  of  serving  the  gun  him- 
self, in  view  of  which  condition  one  gun  would  have  to 
defend  the  Maggie.  He  had  never  seen  a  mountain  gun 
before,  but  he  did  not  find  it  difficult  to  put  the  simple 
mechanism  together. 

"Now,  then,  Scraggsy,"  he  announced  cheerfully 
when  the  gun  was  finally  assembled  on  the  carriage, 
"get  a  sizeable  timber  an*  spike  it  to  the  centre  o'  the 
deck.  I'll  run  the  trail  spade  up  against  that  cleat 
an*  that'll  keep  the  recoil  from  lettin'  the  gun  go  back- 
ward, clean  through  the  opposite  rail  and  overboard. 
Gimme  a  coupler  gallons  o'  distillate  an'  some  waste, 
somebody.  This  cosmoline's  got  to  come  out  o'  the 
tube  an'  out  o'  the  breech  mechanism  before  we  com- 
mence shootin'." 

The  enemy  had  approached  within  three  miles  by 
the  time  the  piece  was  ready  for  action.  Under  Mr. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  197 

Gibney's  instructions  Captain  Scraggs  held  the  fuse 
setter  in  case  it  should  be  necessary  to  adjust  with 
shrapnel.  Mr.  Gibney  inserted  his  sights  and  took  a 
preliminary  squint.  "A  little  different  from  gun- 
pointin'  in  the  navy,  but  about  the  same  principle,"  he 
declared.  "In  the  army  I  believe  they  call  this  kind 
o'  shootin'  direct  fire,  because  you  sight  direct  on  the 
target."  He  scratched  his  ingenious  head  and  exam- 
ined the  ammunition.  "Not  a  high  explosive  shell  in 
the  lot,"  he  mourned.  "I'll  have  to  use  percussion  fire 
to  get  the  range;  then  I'll  drop  back  a  little  an'  spray 
her  with  shrapnel.  Seems  a  pity  to  smash  up  a  fine 
schooner  like  that  one  with  percussion  fire.  I'd  rather 
tickle  'em  up  a  bit  with  shrapnel  an'  scare  'em  into 
runnin'  away." 

He  got  out  the  lanyard,  slipped  a  cartridge  in  the 
breech,  paused,  and  scratched  his  head  again.  His  calm 
deliberation  was  driving  Scraggs  crazy.  He  reminded 
Mr.  Gibney  with  some  asperity  that  they  were  not  at- 
tending a  strawberry  festival  and  for  the  love  of  heaven 
to  get  busy. 

"I'm  estimatin'  the  range,  you  snipe,"  Gibney  re- 
torted. "  Looks  to  be  about  three  miles  to  me.  A  little 
long,  mebbe,  for  this  gun,  but — there's  nothin'  like 
tryin',"  and  he  sighted  carefully.  "Fire,"  he  bawled 
as  the  Maggie  rested  an  instant  in  the  trough  of  the 
sea — and  a  deckhand  jerked  the  lanyard.  Instantly 
Mr.  Gibney  clapped  the  long  glass  to  his  eye. 

"Good  direction — over,"  he  murmured.  "I'll  lay 
on  her  waterline  next  time."  He  jerked  open  the 
breech,  ejected  the  cartridge  case,  and  rammed  another 
cartridge  home.  This  shot  struck  the  water  directly 


198  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

under  the  schooner's  bow  and  threw  water  over  her 
forecastle  head.  Mr.  Gibney  smiled,  spat  overboard, 
and  winked  confidently  at  Captain  Scraggs.  "Like 
spearin'  fish  in  a  bath  tub,"  he  declared.  He  bent 
over  the  fuse  setter.  "Corrector  three  zero,"  he  in- 
toned, "four  eight  hundred."  He  thrust  a  cartridge  in 
the  fuse  setter,  twisted  it,  slammed  it  in  the  gun,  and 
fired  again.  The  water  broke  into  tiny  waterspouts 
over  a  considerable  area  some  two  hundred  yards 
short  of  the  schooner,  so  Mr.  Gibney  raised  his  range 
to  five  thousand  and  tried  again.  "Over,"  he  growled. 

Something  whined  over  the  Maggie  and  threw  up  a 
waterspout  half  a  mile  beyond  her. 

"Dubs,"  jeered  Mr.  Gibney,  and  sighted  again. 
This  time  his  shrapnel  burst  neatly  on  the  schooner. 
Almost  simultaneously  a  shell  from  the  schooner  dropped 
into  the  sacked  coal  on  the  forecastle  head  of  the  Maggie 
and  enveloped  her  in  a  black  pall  of  smoke  and  coal  dust. 
Captain  Scraggs  screamed. 

"Tit  for  tat,"  the  philosophical  Gibney  reminded 
him.  "We  can't  expect  to  get  away  with  everything, 
Scraggsy,  old  kiddo."  The  words  were  scarcely  out 
of  his  mouth  before  the  Maggie's  mainmast  and  about 
ten  feet  of  her  ancient  railing  were  trailing  alongside. 
Mr.  Gibney  whistled  softly  through  his  teeth  and  suc- 
cessfully sprayed  the  Mexican  again.  "It  breaks  my 
heart  to  ruin  that  craft's  canvas,"  he  declared,  and  let 
her  have  it  once  more. 

"My  Maggie's  tail  is  shot  away,"  Captain  Scraggs 
wailed,  "an'  I  only  rebuilt  it  a  week  ago."  Three 
more  shots  from  the  long  gun  missed  them,  but  the 
fourth  carried  away  the  cabin,  leaving  the  wreck  of 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  199 

the  pilot  house,  with  the  helmsman  unscathed,  stick- 
ing up  like  a  sore  thumb. 

"Turn  her  around  and  head  straight  for  them,"  the 
gallant  Gibney  roared.  "She's  a  smaller  target  comin' 
bows  on.  We're  broadside  to  her  now." 

"Gib,  will  you  ever  sink  that  Greaser?"  Captain 
Scraggs  sobbed  hysterically. 

"Don't  want  to  sink  her,"  the  supercargo  retorted. 
"She's  a  nice  little  schooner.  I'd  rather  capture  her. 
Maybe  we  can  use  her  in  our  business,  Scraggsy,"  and 
he  continued  to  shower  the  enemy  with  high  bursting 
shrapnel.  When  the  two  vessels  were  less  than  two 
miles  apart  the  one-pounders  came  into  action.  It 
was  pretty  shooting  and  the  wicked  little  shells  ripped 
through  the  old  Maggie  like  buckshot  through  a  roll 
of  butter.  Mr.  Gibney  slid  flat  on  the  deck  beside 
his  gun  and  Captain  Scraggs  sprawled  beside  him. 

66  A  feller,"  Mr.  Gibney  announced,  "has  got  to  take  a 
beatin'  while  lookin'  for  an  openin'  to  put  over  the  knock- 
out blow.  If  the  old  Maggie  holds  together  till  we're 
within  a  cable's  length  o'  that  schooner  an'  we  ain't 
all  killed  by  that  time,  I  bet  I'll  make  them  skunks  sing 
soft  an'  low." 

"How?"  Captain  Scraggs  chattered. 

"With  muzzle  bursts,"  Mr.  Gibney  replied.  "I'll 
set  my  fuse  at  zero  an'  at  point-blank  range  I'll  just 
rake  everything  off  that  schooner's  decks.  Guess  I'll 
get  half  a  dozen  cartridges  set  an'  ready  for  the  big 
scene.  Up  with  you,  Admiral  Scraggs,  an'  hold  the 
fuse  setter  steady." 

"I'm  agin  war,"  Scraggs  quavered.  "Gib,  it's  sure 
hell." 


200  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Rats!  It's  invigouratin',  Scraggsy.  There  ain't 
nothin'  wrong  with  war,  Scraggsy,  unless  you  happen 
to  get  killed.  Then  it's  like  cholera.  You  can  cure 
every  case  except  the  first  one." 

They  had  come  inside  the  minimum  range  of  the 
Mexican's  long  gun  now,  so  that  only  the  one-pounders 
continued  to  peck  at  the  Maggie.  Evidently  the  Mexi- 
can was  as  eager  to  get  to  close  quarters  as  Mr.  Gib- 
ney,  for  he  held  steadily  on  his  course. 

"Well,  it's  time  to  put  over  the  big  stuff,"  Mr.  Gib- 
ney  remarked  presently.  "Here's  hopin'  they  don't 
pot  me  with  rifle  fire  while  I'm  extendin'  my  compli- 
ments." 

As  the  first  muzzle  burst  raked  the  Mexican  Cap- 
tain Scraggs  saw  that  most  of  the  terrible  blast  of  lead 
had  gone  too  high.  Nevertheless,  it  was  effective,  for 
to  a  man  the  crews  of  the  one-pounders  deserted  their 
posts  and  tumbled  below;  seeing  which  the  individual 
in  command  lost  his  nerve.  He  was  satisfied  now  that 
the  infernal  Maggie  purposed  ramming  him;  he  had 
marvelled  that  the  filibuster  should  use  shrapnel,  after 
she  had  ranged  with  shell  (he  did  not  know  it  was  per- 
cussion shrapnel)  and  in  sudden  panic  he  decided  that 
the  Maggie,  mortally  wounded,  purposed  getting  close 
enough  to  sink  him  with  shell-fire  if  she  failed  to  ram 
him;  whereupon  the  yellow  streak  came  through  and 
he  waved  his  arms  frantically  above  his  head  in  token 
of  surrender. 

"She's  hauled  down  her  rag,"  shrieked  Scraggs. 
"Be  merciful,  Gib.  There's  men  dyin'  on  that  boat." 

"Lay  alongside  that  craft,"  Mr.  Gibney  shouted  to 
the  helmsman.  The  schooner  had  hove  to  and  when 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  201 

the  Maggie  also  hove  to  some  thirty  yards  to  windward 
of  her  Mr.  Gibney  informed  the  Mexican,  in  atrocious 
Spanish  well  mixed  with  English,  that  if  the  latter  so 
much  as  lifted  his  little  finger  he  might  expect  to  be 
sunk  like  a  dog.  "Down  below,  everybody  but  the 
helmsman,  or  I'll  sweep  your  decks  with  another  muz- 
zle burst,"  he  thundered. 

The  Mexican  obeyed  and  Captain  Scraggs  went  up 
in  the  pilot  house  and  laid  the  terribly  battered  Maggie 
alongside  the  schooner.  The  instant  she  touched,  Mr. 
Gibney  sprang  aboard,  quickly  followed  by  Captain 
Scraggs,  who  had  relinquished  the  helm  to  his  first 
mate. 

Suddenly  Captain  Scraggs  shouted,  "Look,  Gib,  for 
the  love  of  the  Lord,  look!"  and  pointed  with  his  finger. 
At  the  head  of  the  little  iron-railed  companion  way 
leading  down  into  the  engine  room  a  man  was  standing. 
He  had  a  monkey  wrench  in  one  hand  and  a  greasy 
rag  in  the  other. 

Mr.  Gibney  turned  and  looked  at  the  man. 

"McGuffey,  for  a  thousand,"  he  bellowed,  and  ran 
forward  with  outstretched  hand.  Captain  Scraggs 
was  at  Gibney 's  heels,  and  between  them  they  came 
very  nearly  dislocating  Bartholomew  McGuffey's  arm. 

"McGuffey,  my  dear  boy,"  said  Captain  Scraggs. 
"Whatever  are  you  a-doin'  on  this  heathen  warship?" 

"Me!"  ejaculated  Mr.  McGuffey,  with  his  old-time 
deliberation.  "Why,  I'm  the  chief  engineer  of  this 
craft.  I  had  a  good  job,  too,  but  I  guess  it's  all  off 
now,  and  the  Mexican  Government'll  fire  me.  Say, 
who  chucked  that  buckshot  down  into  my  engine 
room?" 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Admiral  Gibney  did  it,"  said  Scraggs.  "The  old 
Maggie's  alongside  and  me  and  Gib's  filibusters.  Bear 
a  hand,  Mac,  and  help  us  clap  the  hatches  on  our 
prisoners." 

"Thank  God,"  said  Mr.  Gibney  piously,  "I  didn't 
kill  you.  Come  to  look  into  the  matter,  I  didn't  kill 
anybody,  though  I  see  half  a  dozen  Mexicans  around 
decks  more  or  less  cut  up.  Where  you  been  all  these 
years,  Mac?" 

"I  been  chief  engineer  in  the  Mexican  navy,"  re- 
plied McGuffey.  "Have  you  captured  us  in  the  name 
of  the  United  States  or  what?  " 

"We've  captured  you  in  the  name  of  Adelbert  P. 
Gibney,"  was  the  reply.  "I  been  huntin'  all  my  life 
for  a  ship  of  my  own,  and  now  I've  got  her.  Lord, 
Mac,  she's  a  beauty,  ain't  she?  All  hardwood  fin- 
ish, teak  rail,  well  found,  and  just  the  ticket  for  the 
island  trade.  Well,  well,  well!  I'm  Captain  Gibney  at 
last." 

"Where  do  I  come  in,  Gib?"  asked  Captain  Scraggs 
modestly. 

"Well,  seein'  as  the  Maggie  has  two  holes  through  her 
hull  below  the  waterline,  and  is  generally  nicked  to 
pieces,  you  might  quit  askin'  questions  and  get  back 
aboard  and  put  the  pumps  on  her.  You're  lucky  if 
she  don't  sink  on  you  before  we  get  to  Descanso  Bay. 
If  she  sinks,  don't  worry.  I'll  give  you  a  job  as  my  first 
mate.  Mac,  you're  my  engineer,  but  not  at  no  fancy 
Mexican  price.  I'll  pay  you  the  union  scale  and  not  a 
blasted  cent  more  or  less.  Is  that  fair?  " 

McGuffey  said  it  was,  and  went  below  to  tune  up  his 
engine.  Mr.  Gibney  took  the  wheel  of  the  gunboat. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  203 

and  sent  Captain  Scraggs  back  aboard  the  Maggie, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  both  vessels  were  bowling  along 
toward  Descanso  Bay.  They  were  off  the  bay  at  mid- 
night, and  while  with  Mr.  Gibney  in  command  of  the 
federal !  gunboat  Captain  Scraggs  had  nothing  to  fear, 
the  rapid  rise  of  water  in  the  hold  of  the  Maggie  was 
sadly  disconcerting.  About  daylight  he  made  up  his 
mind  that  she  would  sink  within  two  hours,  and  with- 
out pausing  to  whine  over  his  predicament,  he  promptly 
beached  her.  She  drove  far  up  the  beach,  with  the 
slack  water  breaking  around  her  scarred  stern,  and 
when  the  tide  ebbed  she  lay  high  and  dry.  And  the 
rebel  soldiers  came  trooping  down  from  the  Megano 
rancho  and  falling  upon  her  carcass  like  so  many  ants, 
quickly  distributed  her  cargo  amongst  them,  and  dis- 
appeared. 

Captain  Scraggs  sent  his  crew  out  aboard  the  cap- 
tured gunboat  to  assist  Mr.  Gibney  in  rowing  his  pris- 
oners ashore,  and  when  finally  he  stood  alone  beside 
the  wreck  of  the  brave  old  Maggie,  piled  up  at  last  in 
the  port  of  missing  ships,  something  snapped  within 
his  breast  and  the  big  tears  rolled  in  quick  succession 
down  his  sun-tanned  cheeks.  The  old  hulk  looked  pe- 
culiarly pathetic  as  she  lay  there,  listed  over  on  her 
beam  ends.  She  had  served  him  well,  but  she  had  fin- 
ished her  last  voyage,  and  with  some  vague  idea  of  sav- 
ing her  old  bones  from  vandal  hands,  Captain  Scraggs, 
sobbing  audibly,  scattered  the  contents  of  half  a  dozen 
cans  of  kerosene  over  her  decks  and  in  the  cabin,  lighted 
fires  in  three  different  sections*  of  the  wreck,  and  left 
her  to  the  consuming  flames.  Half  an  hour  later  he 
stood  on  the  battered  decks  of  the  gunboat  beside  Gib- 


204  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

ney  and  McGuffey  and  watched  the  dense  clouds  of 
smoke  that  heralded  the  passing  of  the  Maggie. 

"She  was  a  good  old  hulk,"  said  Mr.  Gibney.  "And 
now,  as  the  special  envoy  of  the  Liberal  army  of  Mex- 
ico, here's  a  draft  on  Los  Angeles  for  five  thousand 
bucks,  Scraggsy,  which  constitutes  the  balance  due  you 
on  this  here  filibuster  trip.  Of  course,  I  needn't  re- 
mind you,  Scraggsy,  that  you'd  never  have  earned  this 
money  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Adelbert  P.  Gibney  workin' 
his  imagination  overtime.  I've  made  you  a  chunk  of 
money,  and  while  I  couldn't  save  your  ship,  I  did  save 
your  life.  As  a  reward  for  all  this,  I  don't  claim  one 
cent  of  the  money  due  you,  as  I  could  if  I  wanted  to 
be  rotten  mean.  I'm  goin'  to  keep  this  fine  little  power 
schooner  for  my  share  of  the  loot.  She's  nicked  up 
some,  but  that  only  bears  evidence  to  what  a  bully  good 
shot  I  am,  and  it  won't  take  much  to  fix  her  up  all  ship- 
shape again.  Usin*  high  bursts  shrapnel  ain't  very  de- 
structive. All  them  bumps  an'  scratches  can  be  planed 
down.  But  we'll  have  to  do  some  mendin'  on  her  can- 
vas— I'll  tell  the  world.  She's  called  the  Reina  Maria, 
but  I'm  going  to  run  her  to  Panama  and  change  her 
name.  She'll  be  known  as  Maggie  II,  out  of  respect 
for  the  old  girl  that's  burnin'  up  there  on  the  beach." 

Captain  Scraggs  was  so  touched  at  this  delicate  little 
tribute  that  he  turned  away  and  burst  into  tears. 

"Aw,  shut  up,  Scraggsy,  old  hunks,"  said  McGuffey 
consolingly.  "You  ain't  got  nothin'  to  cry  about. 
You're  a  rich  man.  Look  at  me.  I  ain't  a-bawlin', 
am  I?  And  I  don't  get  so  much  as  a  bean  out  of  this 
mix-up,  all  on  account  of  me  bein'  tied  up  with  a  lot  of 
hounds  that  quits  fightin'  before  they're  half  licked." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  205 

"That's  so,"  said  Captain  Scraggs,  wiping  his  eyes 
with  his  grimy  fists.  "I  declare  you're  out  in  the  cold, 
McGuffey,  and  it  ain't  right.  Gib,  my  boy,  us  three 
has  had  some  stirrin'  times  together  and  we've  had 
our  differences,  but  I  ain't  a-goin'  to  think  of  them 
past  griefs.  The  sight  o'  you,  single-handed,  meetin' 
and  annihilatin'  the  pride  of  the  Mexican  navy,  calm 
in  th'  moment  o'  despair,  generous  in  victory  and  deli- 
cate as  blazes  to  a  fallen  shipmate,  goin'  to  work  an' 
namin'  your  vessel  after  him  that  way,  is  somethin' 
that  wipes  away  all  sorrer  and  welds  a  friendship 
that's  bound  to  endoor  till  death  us  do  part.  If  Mc- 
Guffey'd  been  on  our  side,  we  know  from  past  perform- 
ances that  he'd  a  fit  like  a  tiger,  wouldn't  you,  Mac?" 
(Here  Mr.  McGuffey  coughed  slightly,  as  much  as  to 
say  that  he  would  have  fought  like  ten  tigers  had  he 
only  been  given  the  opportunity.) 

Captain  Scraggs  continued:  "I  should  say  that  a  fair 
valuation  of  this  schooner  as  she  stands  is  ten  thousand 
dollars.  That  belongs  to  Gib.  Now  I'm  willin'  to 
chuck  five  thousand  dollars  into  the  deal,  we'll  form  a 
close  corporation  and  as  a  compliment  to  McGuffey, 
elect  him  chief  engineer  in  his  own  ship  and  give  him  say 
a  quarter  interest  in  our  layout,  as  a  little  testimonial 
to  an  old  friend,  tried  and  true." 

"Scraggsy,"  said  Mr.  Gibney,  "your  fin.  We've 
fought,  but  we'll  let  that  go.  We  wipe  the  slate  clean 
and  start  in  all  over  again  on  the  Maggie  II,  and  I'm 
free  to  state,  without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  in  the 
last  embroglio  you  showed  up  like  four  aces  and  a  king 
with  the  entire  company  standin'  pat.  Scraggsy, 
you're  a  hero,  and  what  you  propose  proves  that 


206  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

you're  considerable  of  a  singed  cat — better 'n  you  look. 
We'll  go  freebootin'  down  on  the  Gold  Coast.  There's 
war,  red  war,  breakin'  loose  down  there,  and  we'll  shy 
in  our  horseshoe  with  the  strongest  side  and  pry  loose 
a  fortune  somewhere.  I'm  for  a  life  of  wild  adventure, 
and  now  that  we've  got  the  ship  and  the  funds  and  the 
crew,  let's  go  to  it.  There's  a  deal  of  fine  liquor  in 
the  wardroom,  and  I  suggest  that  we  nominate  Phineas 
Scraggs,  late  master  of  the  battleship  Maggie,  now  sec- 
ond in  command  of  the  Maggie  II,  to  brew  a  kettle  o' 
hot  grog  to  celebrate  our  victory.  Mac — Scraggsy — 
your  fins.  I'm  proud  of  you  both.  Shake." 

They  shook,  and  as  Captain  Gibney's  eye  wandered 
aloft,  First  Mate  Scraggs  and  Chief  Engineer  Mc- 
Guffey  looked  up  also.  From  the  main  topmast  of 
the  Maggie  II  floated  a  long  blue  burgee,  with  white 
lettering  on  it,  and  as  it  whipped  out  into  the  breeze 
the  old  familiar  name  stood  out  against  the  noonday 
sun. 

"Good  old  dishcloth!"  murmured  Mr.  Gibney. 
"She  never  comes  down." 

"The  Maggie  forever!"  shrieked  Scraggs. 

"Hooray!"  bellowed  McGuffey.  "An'  now, 
Scraggsy,  if  you've  got  all  the  enthusiasm  out  of  your 
blood,  kick  in  with  a  hundred  an'  fifty  dollars  an'  in- 
terest to  date.  An'  don't  tell  me  that  note's  outlawed, 
or  I'll  feed  you  to  the  fishes." 

Captain  Scraggs  looked  crestfallen,  but  produced 
the  money. 


CHAPTER  XX 

WELL,  Scraggsy,  old  hunks,  this  is  pleasant, 
ain't  it?"  said  Mr.  Gibney,  and  spat  on  the 
deck  of  the  Maggie  II. 

"Right-o,"  replied  Captain  Scraggs  cheerily,  "though 
when  I  was  a  young  feller  and  first  went  to  sea,  it  wasn't 
considered  no  pleasantry  to  spit  on  a  nice  clean  deck. 
You  might  cut  that  out,  Gib.  It's  vulgar." 

"Passin'  over  the  fact,  Scraggs,  that  you  ain't  got 
no  call  to  jerk  me  up  on  sea  ettycat,  more  particular 
since  I'm  the  master  and  managin'  owner  of  this  here 
schooner,  I'm  free  to  confess,  Scraggsy,  that  your  ob- 
servation does  you  credit.  I  just  did  that  to  see  if 
you  was  goin'  to  take  as  big  an  interest  in  the  new  Mag- 
gie as  you  did  in  the  old  Maggie,  and  the  fact  that  you 
object  to  me  expectoratin'  on  the  deck  proves  to  me  that 
you're  leavin'  behind  you  all  them  bay  scow  tenden- 
cies of  the  green-pea  trade.  It  leads  me  to  believe 
that  you'll  rise  to  high  rank  and  distinction  in  the 
Colombian  navy.  Your  fin,  Scraggsy.  Expectora- 
tin' on  the  decks  is  barred,  and  the  Maggie  II  goes  under 
navy  discipline  from  now  on.  Am  I  right?" 

"Right  as  a  right  whale,"  said  Captain  Scraggs. 
"And  now  that  you've  given  that  old  mate  of  mine  the 
course,  and  we've  temporarily  plugged  up  the  holes  in 
this  here  Mexican  gunboat,  and  everything  points  to  a 
safe  and  profitable  voyage  from  now  on,  suppose  you 

207 


208^          THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

delegate  me  as  a  committee  of  one  to  brew  a  scuttle  of 
grog,  after  which  the  syndicate  holds  a  meetin'  and 
lays  out  a  course  for  its  future  conduct.  There's  a 
few  questions  of  rank  and  privileges  that  ought  to  be 
settled  once  for  all,  so  there  can't  be  no  come-back." 

"The  point  is  well  taken  and  it  is  so  ordered,"  said 
Mr.  Gibney,  who  had  once  held  office  in  Harbour  15, 
Masters  and  Pilots  Association  of  America,  and  knew  a 
fragment  or  two  of  parliamentary  law.  "Rustle  up  the 
grog,  call  McGuffey  up  out  of  the  engine  room,  and  we'll 
hold  the  meetin'." 

Twenty  minutes  later  Scraggs  came  on  deck  to  an- 
nounce the  successful  concoction  of  a  kettle  of  whisky 
punch;  whereupon  the  three  adventurers  went  below 
and  sat  down  at  the  cabin  table  for  a  conference. 

"I  move  that  Gib  be  appointed  president  of  the 
syndicate,"  said  Captain  Scraggs. 

"Second  the  motion,"  rumbled  McGuffey. 

"The  motion's  carried,"  said  Mr.  Gibney,  and 
banged  the  table  with  his  horny  fist.  "The  meetin' 
will  please  come  to  order.  The  chair  hereby  appoints 
Phineas  Scraggs  secretary  of  the  syndicate,  to  keep  a 
record  of  this  and  all  future  meetin's  of  the  board.  I 
will  now  entertain  propositions  of  any  and  all  natures, 
and  I  invite  the  members  of  the  board  to  knock  the 
stopper  out  of  their  jaw  tackle  and  go  to  it." 

"I  move,"  said  Captain  Scraggs,  "that  B.  McGuffey, 
Esquire,  be,  and  he  is  hereby  appointed,  chief  engineer 
of  the  Maggie  II  at  a  salary  not  to  exceed  the  wage 
schedule  of  the  Marine  Engineers'  Association  of  the 
Pacific  Coast,  and  that  he  be  voted  a  one-fourth  inter- 
est in  the  vessel  and  all  subsequent  profits." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  £09 

"Second  the  motion,"  said  Mr.  Gibney,  "and  not  to 
hamper  the  business  of  the  meetin',  we'll  just  consider 
that  motion  carried  unanimous." 

B,  McGuffey,  Esquire,  rose,  bowed  his  thanks,  and 
sat  down  again,  apparently  very  much  confused.  It 
was  evident  that  he  had  something  to  say,  but  was  hav- 
ing difficulty  framing  his  thoughts  in  parliamentary 
language. 

"  Heave  away,  Mac,"  said  Mr.  Gibney. 

"Cast  off  your  lines,  McGuffey,"  chirped  Scraggs. 

Thus  encouraged,  McGuffey  rose,  bowed  his  thanks 
once  more,  moistened  his  larynx  with  a  gulp  of  the 
punch,  and  spoke: 

"Feller  members  and  brothers  of  the  syndicate: 
In  the  management  of  the  deck  department  of  this  new 
craft  of  ourn,  my  previous  knowledge  of  the  worthy 
president  and  the  unworthy  secretary  leads  me  to  be- 
lieve that  there's  goin'  to  be  trouble.  A  ship  divided 
agin  herself  must  surely  go  on  her  beam  ends.  Now, 
Scraggsy  here  has  been  master  so  long  that  the  juice 
of  authority  has  sorter  soaked  into  his  marrer  bones. 
For  twenty  years  it's  been  'Howdy  do,  Captain  Scraggs/ 
'Have  a  drink,  Captain  Scraggs/  'Captain  Scraggs 
this  an'  Captain  Scraggs  that.'  I  don't  mean  no  of- 
fense, gentlemen,  when  I  state  that  you  can't  teach  an 
old  dog  new  tricks.  No  man  that's  ever  been  a  mas- 
ter makes  a  good  mate.  On  the  other  hand,  I  realize 
that  Gib  here  has  been  a-pantin'  and  a-bellyachin' 
all  his  life  to  get  a  ship  of  his  own  an'  have  folks  call 
him  'Captain  Gibney/  Now  that  he's  gone  an'  done 
it,  I  say  he's  entitled  to  it.  But  the  fact  of  the  whole 
thing  is,  Gib's  the  natural  leader  of  the  expedition  or 


210  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

whatever  it's  goin'  to  be,  and  he  can't  have  his  peace  of 
mind  wrecked  and  his  plans  disturbed  a-chasin'  sailors 
around  the  deck  of  the  Maggie  II.  Gib  is  sorter  what 
the  feller  calls  the  power  behind  the  throne.  He's  too 
big  a  figger  for  the  grade  of  captain.  Therefore,  I 
move  you,  gentlemen,  that  Adelbert  P.  Gibney  be, 
and  he  is  hereby  nominated  and  appointed  to  the  grade 
of  commodore,  in  full  command  and  supervision  of  all 
of  the  property  of  the  syndicate.  And  I  also  move  that 
Phineas  Scraggs  be  appointed  chief  navigatin'  officer 
of  this  packet,  to  retain  his  title  of  captain,  and  to  be 
obeyed  and  respected  as  such  by  every  man  aboard 
with  the  exception  of  me  and  Gib.  The  present  mate'll 
do  the  navigatin'  while  Scraggsy's  learnin'  the  deep  sea 
stuff." 

"Second  the  motion,"  said  Captain  Scraggs  briskly. 
"McGuffey,  your  argument  does  you  a  heap  of  credit. 
It's — it's — dog  my  cats,  McGuffey,  it's  masterly.  It 
shows  a  keen  appreciation  of  an  old  skipper's  feelin's, 
and  if  the  move  is  agreeable  to  Gib,  I'm  willin'  to  hail 
him  as  commodore  and  fight  to  maintain  his  office. 
I — I  dunno,  Gib,  what  I'd  do  if  I  didn't  have  a  mate 
to  order  around." 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Mr.  Gibney,  beaming,  "the  mo- 
tion's carried  unanimous.  Captain — chief — your  fins. 
Dook  me.  I'm  honoured  by  the  handshake.  Now, 
regarding  that  crew  you  brought  down  from  San  Fran- 
cisco on  the  old  Maggie,  Scraggs,  they're  a  likely  lot 
and  will  come  in  handy  if  times  is  as  lively  in  Colombia 
as  I  figger  they  will  be  when  we  arrive  there.  Captain 
Scraggs,  you  will  have  your  mate  pipe  the  crew  to  muster 
and  ascertain  their  feelin's  on  the  subject  of  takin'  a 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

chance  with  Commodore  Gibney.  If  they  object  to  goin' 
further,  we'll  land  'em  in  Panama  an'  pay  'em  off  as 
agreed.  If  they  feel  like  folio  win'  the  Jolly  Roger  we'll 
give  'em  the  coast  seaman's  scale  for  a  deep-water  cruise 
and  a  five  per  cent,  bonus  in  case  we  turn  a  big 
trick." 

Captain  Scraggs  went  at  once  on  deck.  Ten  min- 
utes later  he  returned  to  report  that  the  mate  and  the 
four  seamen  elected  to  stick  by  the  ship. 

"Bully  boys,"  said  the  commodore,  "bully  boys.  I 
like  that  mate.  He's  a  smart  man  and  handles  a  gun 
well.  While  I  should  hesitate  to  take  advantage  of 
my  prerogative  as  commodore  to  interfere  with  the 
normal  workin's  of  the  deck  department,  I  trust  that 
on  this  special  occasion  our  esteemed  navigatin'  officer, 
Captain  Scraggs,  will  not  consider  it  beneath  his  dig- 
nity or  an  attack  on  his  office  if  I  suggest  to  him  that 
he  brew  another  kettle  of  grog  for  the  crew." 

"Second  the  motion,"  replied  McGuffey. 

"Carried,"  said  Scraggs,  and  proceeded  to  heat  some 
water. 

"Anything  further?"  stated  the  president. 

"How  about  uniforms?"  This  from  Captain  Scraggs. 

"We'll  leave  that  to  Gib,"  suggested  McGuffey. 
"He's  been  in  the  Colombian  navy  and  he'll  know  just 
what  to  get  us." 

"Well,  there's  another  thing  that's  got  to  be  settled," 
continued  Captain  Scraggs.  "If  I'm  to  be  navigatin' 
officer  on  the  flagship  of  a  furrin'  fleet,  strike  me  pink 
if  I'll  do  any  more  cookin'  in  the  galley.  It's  degrad- 
in'.  I  move  that  we  engage  some  enterprisin'  Oriental 
for  that  job." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Carried,"  said  Mr.  Gibney.  "Any  further  busi- 
ness?" 

Once  more  McGuffey  stood  up.  "Gentlemen  and 
brothers  of  the  syndicate,"  he  began,  "I'm  satisfied  that 
the  back-bitin',  the  scrappin',  the  petty  jealousies  and 
general  cussedness  that  characterized  our  lives  on  the 
old  Maggie  will  not  be  duplicated  on  the  Maggie  II. 
Them  vicious  days  is  gone  forever,  I  hope,  an'  from  now 
on  the  motto  of  us  three  should  be: 

"All  for  one  and  one  for  all — 
United  we  stand,  divided  we  fall." 

This  earnest  little  speech,  which  came  straight  from 
the  honest  McGuffey's  heart,  brought  the  tears  to  the 
commodore's  eyes.  Under  the  inspiration  of  McGuf- 
fey's unselfish  words  the  glasses  were  refilled  and  all 
three  pledged  their  friendship  anew.  As  for  Captain 
Scraggs,  he  was  naturally  of  a  cold  and  selfish  disposi- 
tion,  and  McGuffey's  toast  appealed  more  to  his  brain 
than  to  his  heart.  Had  he  known  what  was  to  happen 
to  him  in  the  days  to  come  and  what  that  simple  little 
motto  was  to  mean  in  his  particular  case,  it  is  doubtful 
if  he  would  have  tossed  off  his  liquor  as  gaily  as  he  did. 

"There's  one  thing  more  that  we  mustn't  neglect," 
warned  Mr.  Gibney  before  the  meeting  broke  up. 
"We've  got  to  run  this  little  vessel  into  some  dog-hole 
where  there's  a  nice  beach  and  smooth  water,  and 
change  her  name.  I  notice  that  her  old  name  Reina 
Maria  is  screwed  into  her  bows  and  across  her  stern 
in  raised  gilt  letters,  contrary  to  law  and  custom.  We'll 
snip  'em  off,  sandpaper  every  spot  where  there's  a  letter, 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  213 

and  repaint  it;  after  which  we'll  rig  up  a  stagin'  over  her 
bows  and  stern,  and  cut  her  new  name,  'Maggie  II,9 
right  into  her  plankin'.  Nobody'll  ever  suspect  her 
name's  been  changed.  I  notice  that  the  official  let- 
ters and  numbers  cut  into  her  main  beam  is  F-C-P — 
9957.  I'll  change  that  F  to  an  E,  the  C  to  an  O,  and 
the  P  to  an  R.  A  handy  man  with  a  wood  chisel  can 
do  lots  of  things.  He  can  change  those  nines  to  eights, 
the  five  to  a  six,  and  the  seven  to  a  nine.  I've  seen  it 
done  before.  Then  we'll  rig  a  foretopmast  and  a  spin- 
naker boom  on  her,  and  bend  a  fisherman's  staysail. 
Nothing  like  it  when  you're  sailing  a  little  off  the  wind. 
Scraggs,  you  have  the  papers  of  the  old  Maggie,  and  we 
all  have  our  licenses  regular  enough.  Dig  up  the  old 
papers,  Scraggsy,  and  I'll  doctor  'em  up  to  fit  the  Mag- 
gie II.  As  for  our  armament,  we'll  dismount  the  guns 
and  stow  'em  away  in  the  hold  until  we  get  down  on  the 
Colombian  coast,  and  while  we're  lying  in  Panama  re- 
pairing the  holes  where  my  shots  went  through  her,and 
puttin'  new  planks  in  her  decks  where  the  old  plankin* 
has  been  scored  by  shrapnel,  those  paraqueets  will  think 
we're  as  peaceful  as  chipmunks.  Better  look  over  your 
supplies,  McGuffey,  and  see  if  there's  any  paint  aboard. 
I'd  just  as  lief  give  the  old  girl  a  different  dress  before 
we  drop  anchor  in  Panama." 

"Gib,"  said  Captain  Scraggs  earnestly,  "I'll  keel- 
haul and  shull-drag  the  man  that  says  you  ain't  got  a 
great  head." 

"By  the  lord,"  supplemented  McGuffey,  "you  have.'* 
The  commodore  smiled  and  tapped  his  frontal  bone 
with  his  forefinger.     "Imagination,  my  lads,  imagina- 
tion," he  said,  and  reached  for  the  last  of  the  punch. 


214  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

Exactly  three  weeks  from  the  date  of  the  naval  battle 
which  took  place  off  the  Coronado  Islands,  and  whereby 
Mr.  Gibney  became  commodore  and  managing  owner 
of  the  erstwhile  Mexican  coast  patrol  schooner  Reina 
Maria,  that  vessel  sailed  out  of  the  harbour  of  Panama 
completely  rejuvenated.  Not  a  scar  on  her  shapely 
lines  gave  evidence  of  the  sanguinary  engagement 
through  which  she  had  passed. 

Mr.  Gibney  had  her  painted  a  creamy  white  with  a 
dark  blue  waterline.  She  had  had  her  bottom  cleaned 
and  scraped  and  the  copper  sheathing  overhauled  and 
patched  up.  Her  sails  had  been  overhauled,  inspected, 
and  repaired  wherever  necessary,  and  in  order  to  be  on 
the  safe  side,  Mr.  Gibney,  upon  motion  duly  made  by 
him  and  seconded  by  McGuffey  (to  whom  the  second- 
ing of  the  Gibney  motions  had  developed  into  a  habit), 
purchased  an  extra  suit  of  new  sails.  The  engines  were 
overhauled  by  the  faithful  McGuffey  and  a  large  store 
of  distillate  stored  hi  the  hold.  Captain  Scraggs,  with 
his  old-time  aversion  to  expense,  made  a  motion  (which 
was  seconded  by  McGuffey  before  he  had  taken  time  to 
consider  its  import)  providing  for  the  abolition  of  the 
office  of  chief  engineer  while  the  Maggie  II  was  under 
sail,  at  which  time  the  chief  ex-officio  was  to  hold  him- 
self under  the  orders  of  the  commodore  and  be  trans- 
ferred to  the  deck  department  if  necessary.  Mr  Gib- 
ney approved  the  measure  and  it  went  into  effect.  Only 
on  entering  or  leaving  a  port,  or  in  case  of  chase  by  an 
enemy,  were  the  engines  to  be  used,  and  McGuffey  was 
warned  to  be  extremely  saving  of  his  distillate. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

MR.  GIBNEY  had  made  a  splendid  job  of  chang- 
ing the  vessel's  name,  and  as  she  chugged 
lazily  out  of  Panama  Bay  and  lifted  to  the  long 
ground-swell  of  the  Pacific,  it  is  doubtful  if  even  her  late 
Mexican  commander  would  have  recognized  her.  She 
was  indeed  a  beautiful  craft,  and  Commodore  Gibney's 
heart  swelled  with  pride  as  he  stood  aft,  conning  the 
man  at  the  wheel,  and  looked  her  over.  It  seemed  like 
a  sacrilege  now,  when  he  reflected  how  he  had  trained 
the  gun  of  the  old  Maggie  on  her  that  day  off  the  Coro- 
nados,  and  it  seemed  to  him  now  even  a  greater  sac- 
rilege to  have  brazenly  planned  to  enter  her  as  a  priva- 
teer in  the  struggles  of  the  republic  of  Colombia.  The 
past  tense  is  used  advisedly,  for  that  project  was  now 
entirely  off,  much  to  the  secret  delight  of  Captain 
Scraggs,  who,  if  the  hero  of  one  naval  engagement,  was 
not  anxious  to  take  part  in  another.  In  Panama  the 
freebooters  of  the  Maggie  II  learned  that  during  Mr. 
Gibney's  absence  on  his  filibustering  trip  the  Colom- 
bian revolutionists  had  risen  and  struck  their  blow. 
After  the  fashion  of  a  hot-headed  and  impetuous  peo- 
ple, they  had  entered  the  contest  absolutely  untrained. 
As  a  result,  the  war  had  lasted  just  two  weeks,  the 
leaders  had  been  incontinently  shot,  and  the  white- 
winged  dove  of  peace  had  once  more  spread  her  pinions 
along  the  borders  of  the  Gold  Coast. 

215 


216  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

Commodore  Gibney  was  disgusted  beyond  measure, 
and  at  a  special  meeting  of  the  syndicate,  called  in  the 
cabin  of  the  Maggie  II  that  same  evening,  it  was  finally 
decided  that  they  should  embark  on  an  indefinite  trad- 
ing cruise  in  the  South  Seas,  or  until  such  time  as  it 
seemed  their  services  must  be  required  to  free  a  down- 
trodden people  from  a  tyrant's  yoke. 

Captain  Scraggs  and  McGuffey  had  never  been  in 
the  South  Seas,  but  they  had  heard  that  a  fair  margin 
of  profit  was  to  be  wrung  from  trade  in  copra,  shell, 
cocoanuts,  and  kindred  tropical  products.  They  so 
expressed  themselves.  To  this  suggestion,  however. 
Commodore  Gibney  waved  a  deprecating  paw. 

"Legitimate  tradin',  boys,"  he  said,  "is  a  nice,  sane, 
healthy  business,  but  the  profits  is  slow.  What  we 
want  is  quick  profits,  and  while  it  ain't  set  down  in  black 
and  white,  one  of  the  principal  objects  of  this  syndicate 
is  to  lead  a  life  of  wild  adventure.  In  tradin',  there 
ain't  no  adventure  to  speak  of.  We  ought  to  do  a  little 
blackbirdin',  or  raid  some  of  those  Jap  pearl  fisheries 
off  the  northern  coast  of  Formosa." 

"But  we'll  be  chased  by  real  gunboats  if  we  do  that," 
objected  Captain  Scraggs.  "  Those  Jap  gunboats  shoot 
to  kill.  Can't  you  think  of  somethin*  else,  Gib?" 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Gibney,  "for  a  starter,  I  can.  Sup- 
pose we  just  head  straight  for  Kandavu  Island  in  the 
Fijis,  and  scheme  around  for  a  cargo  of  black  coral? 
It's  only  worth  about  fifty  dollars  a  pound.  Kandavu 
lays  somewhere  in  latitude  22  south,  longitude  178  west, 
and  when  I  was  there  last  it  was  fair  reekin'  with  can- 
nibal savages.  But  there's  tons  of  black  coral  there, 
and  nobody's  ever  been  able  to  sneak  in  and  get  away 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  217 

•\ 
with  it.     Every  time  a  boat  used  to  land  at  Kandavu, 

the  native  niggers  would  have  a  white-man  stew  down 
on  the  beach,  and  it's  got  so  that  skippers  give  the  island 
a  wide  berth." 

"Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  chattered  Captain  "Scraggs, 
"I'm  a  man  of  peace  and  I — I " 

"Scraggsy,  old  stick-in-the-mud,"  said  Mr.  Gibney, 
laying  an  affectionate  hand  on  the  skipper's  shoulder, 
"you're  nothin'  of  the  sort.  You're  a  fightin'  taran- 
tula, and  nobody  knows  it  better'n  Adelbert  P.  Gib- 
ney. I've  seen  you  in  action,  Scraggsy.  4  Remember 
that.  It's  all  right  for  you  to  say  you're  a  man  of  peace 
and  advise  me  and  McGuffey  to  keep  out  of  the  track 
of  trouble,  but  we  know  that  away  down  low  you're 
goin'  around  lookin'  for  blood,  and  that  once  you're  up 
agin  the  enemy,  you  never  bat  an  eyelash.  Eh,  Mc- 
Guffey?" 

McGuffey  nodded;  whereupon,"  Captain  Scraggs, 
making  but  a  poor  effort  to  conceal  the  pleasure  which 
Mr.  Gibney's  rude  compliment  afforded  him,  turned  to 
the  rail,  glanced  seaward,  and  started  to  walk  away  to 
attend  to  some  trifling  detail  connected  with  the  boat 
falls. 

"All  right,  Gib,  my  lad,"  he  said,  affecting  to  resign 
himself  to  the  inevitable,  "have  it  your  own  way. 
You're  a  commodore  and  I'm  only  a  plain  captain,  but 
I'll  follow  wherever  you  lead.  I'll  go  as  far  as  the  next 
man  and  we'll  glom  that  black  coral  if  we  have  to 
slaughter  every  man,  woman,  and  child  on  the  island. 
Only,  when  we're  sizzlin'  in  a  pot  don't  you  up  and 
say  I  never  warned  you,  because  I  did.  How  d'ye 
propose  intimidatin'  the  natives,  Gib?" 


218  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"Scraggsy,"  said  the  commodore  solemnly,  "we've 
waged  a  private  war  agin  a  friendly  nation,  licked  'em, 
and  helped  ourselves  to  their  ship.  We've  changed  her 
name  and  rig  and  her  official  number  and  letters  and 
we're  sailin'  under  bogus  papers.  That  makes  us  pirates, 
and  that  old  Maggie  burgee  floatin'  at  the  fore  ain't 
nothin'  more  nor  less  than  the  Jolly  Roger.  All  right! 
Let's  be  pirates.  Who  cares?  When  we  slip  into 
M'galao  harbour  we'll  invite  the  king  and  his  head  men 
aboard  for  dinner.  We'll  get  'em  drunk,  clap  'em  in 
double  irons,  and  surrender  'em  to  their  weepin'  subjects 
when  they've  filled  the  hold  of  the  Maggie  II  with  black 
coral.  If  they  refuse  to  come  aboard  we'll  shell  the 
bush  with  that  long  gun  and  the  Maxim  rapid-fire  guns 
we've  got  below  decks.  That'll  scare  'em  so  they'll 
leave  us  alone  and  we  can  help  ourselves  to  the  coral." 

Scraggs's  cold  blue  eyes  glistened.  "Lord,  Gib,"  he 
murmured,  "you've  got  a  head." 

"Like  playin'  post-office,"  was  McGuffey's  comment. 

The  commodore  smiled.  "I  thought  you  boys  would 
see  it  that  way.  Now  to-morrow  I'm  going  ashore  to 
buy  three  divin'  outfits  and  lay  in  a  big  stock  of  provi- 
sions for  the  voyage.  In  the  meantime,  while  the  car- 
penters are  gettin'  the  ship  into  shape,  we'll  leave  the 
first  mate  in  charge  while  we  go  ashore  and  have  a  good 
time.  I've  seen  worse  places  than  Panama." 

As  a  result  of  this  conference  Mr,  Gibney's  sugges- 
tions were  acted  upon,  and  they  contrived  to  make 
their  brief  stay  in  Panama  very  agreeable.  They  in- 
spected the  work  on  the  canal,  marvelled  at  the  stupen- 
dous engineering  in  the  Culebra  Cut,  drank  a  little,  gam- 
bled a  little.  McGuffey  whipped  a  bartender.  He  was 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  219 

ordered  arrested,  and  six  spiggoty  little  policemen,  sent 
to  arrest  him,  were  also  thrashed.  The  reserves  were 
called  out  and  a  riot  ensued.  Mr.  Gibney,  following 
the  motto  of  the  syndicate,  i.  e., 

All  for  one  and  one  for  all — 
United  we  stand,  divided  we  fall, 

mixed  in  the  conflict  and  presently  found  himself  in 
durance  vile.  Captain  Scraggs,  luckily,  forgot  the 
motto  and  escaped,  but  inasmuch  as  he  was  on  hand 
next  morning  to  pay  a  fine  of  thirty  pesos  levied  against 
each  of  the  culprits,  he  was  instantly  forgiven.  Mr. 
Gibney  vowed  that  if  a  United  States  cruiser  didn't 
happen  to  be  lying  in  the  roadstead,  he  would  have 
shelled  the  town  in  retaliation. 

But  eventually  the  days  passed,  and  the  Maggie  II, 
well  found  and  ready  for  sea,  shook  out  her  sails  to  a 
fair  breeze  and  sailed  away  for  Kandavu.  She  kept 
well  to  the  southwest  until  she  struck  the  southeast 
trades,  when  she  swung  around  on  her  course,  headed 
straight  for  her  destination.  It  was  a  pleasant  voyage, 
devoid  of  incident,  and  the  health  of  all  hands  was  ex- 
cellent. Mr.  Gibney  took  daily  observations,  and  was 
particular  to  make  daily  entries  in  his  log  when  he, 
Scraggs,  and  McGuffey  were  not  playing  cribbage,  a 
game  of  which  all  three  were  passionately  fond. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  twenty-ninth  day  after  leav- 
ing Panama  the  lookout  reported  land.  Through  his 
glasses  Mr.  Gibney  made  out  a  cluster  of  tall  palms 
at  the  southerly  end  of  the  island,  and  as  the  schooner 
held  lazily  on  her  course  he  could  discern  the  white 


220  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

breakers  foaming  over  the  reefs  that  guarded  the  en- 
trance to  the  harbour. 

"That's  Kandavu,  all  right,"  announced  the  commo- 
dore. "J  was  there  in  '89  with  Bull  McGinty  in  the 
schooner  Dashin9  Wave.  There's  the  entrance  to  the 
harbour,  with  the  Esk  reefs  to  the  north  and  the  Pearl 
reefs  to  the  south.  The  channel's  very  narrow — not 
more  than  three  cables,  if  it's  that,  but  there's  plenty  of 
water  and  a  good  muddy  bottom  that'll  hold.  McGuf- 
fey,  lad,  better  run  below  and  tune  up  your  engines. 
It's  too  dangerous  a  passage  on  an  ebb-tide  for  a  sailin' 
vessel,  so  we'll  run  in  under  the  power.  Scraggsy,  stand 
by  and  when  I  give  the  word  have  your  crew  shorten 
sail." 

Within  a  few  minutes  a  long  white  streak  opened  up 
in  the  wake  of  the  schooner,  announcing  that  McGuf- 
fey's  engines  were  doing  duty,  and  a  nice  breeze  spring- 
ing up  two  points  aft  the  beam,  the  Maggie  heeled  over 
and  fairly  flew  through  the  water.  Mr.  Gibney  smiled 
an  ecstatic  smile  as  he  took  the  wheel  and  guided  the 
schooner  through  the  channel.  He  rounded  her  up  in 
twelve  fathoms,  and  within  five  minutes  every  stitch 
of  canvas  was  clewed  down  hard  and  fast.  The  sun 
was  setting  as  they  dropped  anchor,  and  Mr.  Gibney 
had  lanterns  hung  along  the  rail  so  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  any  craft  to  approach  the  schooner  and 
board  her  without  being  seen.  Also  the  watch  on  deck 
that  night  carried  Mauser  rifles,  six-shooters,  and  cut- 
lasses. Mr.  Gibney  was  taking  no  chances. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

NOW,  boys,"  announced  Commodore  Gibney,  as 
he  sat  at  the  head  of  the  officers'  mess  at  break- 
fast next  morning,  "there'll  be  a  lot  of  canoes 
paddling  off  to  visit  us  within  the  hour,  so  whatever  you 
do,  don't  allow  more  than  two  of  these  cannibals  aboard 
the  schooner  at  the  same  time.  Make  'em  keep  their 
weapons  in  the  canoes  with  'em,  and  at  the  first  sign 
of  trouble  shoot  'em  down  like  dogs.  It  may  be  that 
these  precautions  ain't  necessary,  but  when  I  was  here 
twenty  years  ago  it  was  all  the  rage  to  kill  a  white  man 
and  eat  him.  Maybe  times  has  changed,  but  the  har- 
bour and  the  coast  looks  just  as  wild  and  lonely  as  they 
ever  did,  and  I  didn't  see  no  sign  of  missionary  when 
we  dropped  hook  last  night.  So  don't  take  no  chances." 

All  hands  promised  that  they  would  take  extreme 
care,  to  the  end  that  then"  precious  persons  might  re- 
main intact,  so  Mr.  Gibney  finished  his  cup  of  coffee 
at  a  gulp  and  went  on  deck. 

The  Kandavu  aborigines  were  not  long  in  putting  in 
an  appearance.  Even  as  Mr.  Gibney  came  on  deck 
half  a  dozen  canoes  shot  out  from  the  beach.  Mr.  Gib- 
ney immediately  piped  all  hands  on  deck,  armed  them, 
and  nonchalantly  awaited  the  approach  of  what  might 
or  might  not  turn  out  to  be  an  enemy. 

When  the  flotilla  was  within  pistol  shot  of  the  schoon- 
er Mr.  Gibney  stepped  to  the  rail  and  motioned  them 

221 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

back.  Immediately  the  natives  ceased  paddling,  and 
a  wild-looking  fellow  stood  up  in  the  forward  canoe. 
After  the  manner  of  his  kind  he  had  all  his  life  soused 
his  head  in  lime-water  when  making  his  savage  toilette, 
and  as  a  result  his  shock  of  black  hair  stood  on  end  and 
bulged  out  like  a  crowded  hayrick.  He  was  naked,  of 
course,  and  in  his  hand  he  held  a  huge  war  club. 

"That  feller'd  eat  a  rattlesnake/'  gasped  Captain 
Scraggs.  "Shoot  him,  Gib,  if  he  bats  an  eye." 

"Shut  up,"  said  the  commodore,  a  trifle  testily; 
"that's  the  number-one  nigger,  who  does  the  talkin*. 
Hello,  boy." 

"Hello,  cap'n,"  replied  the  savage,  and  salaamed 
gravely.  "You  likee  buy  chicken,  buy  pig?  Maybe 
you  say  come  'board,  I  talk.  Me  very  good  friend 
white  master." 

"Bless  my  sweet-scented  soul!"  gasped  the  com- 
modore. "What  won't  them  missionaries  do  next? 
Cut  off  my  ears  if  this  nigger  ain't  civilized!"  He 
beckoned  to  the  canoe  and  it  shot  alongside,  and  its 
brown  crew  came  climbing  over  the  rail  of  the  Maggie 
II. 

Mr.  Gibney  met  the  spokesman  at  the  rail  and  they 
rubbed  noses  very  solemnly,  after  the  manner  of  saluta- 
tion in  Kandavu.  Captain  Scraggs  bustled  forward, 
full  of  importance. 

"Interduce  me,  Gib,"  he  said  amiably,  and  then, 
while  Mr.  Gibney  favoured  him  with  a  sour  glance,  Cap- 
tain Scraggs  stuck  out  his  hand  and  shook  briskly  with 
the  native. 

"Happy  to  make  your  acquaintance,"  he  said. 
"Scraggs  is  my  name,  sir.  Shake  hands  with  McGuf- 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  223 

fey,  our  chief  engineer.  Hope  you  left  all  the  folks  at 
home  well.  What'd  you  say  your  name  was?" 

The  islander  hadn't  said  his  name  was  anything,  but 
he  grinned  now  and  replied  that  it  was  Tabu-Tabu. 

"Well,  my  bucko,"  muttered  McGuffey,  who  always 
drew  the  colour  line,  "I'm  glad  to  hear  that.  But  you 
ain't  the  only  thing  that's  taboo  around  this  packet. 
You  can  jest  check  that  war  club  with  the  first  mate, 
pendin'  our  better  acquaintance.  Hand  it  over,  you 
black  beggar,  or  I'll  hit  you  a  swat  in  the  ear  that'll 
hurt  all  your  relations.  And  hereafter,  Scraggsy,  just 
keep  your  nigger  friends  to  yourself.  I  ain't  waxin' 
effusive  over  this  savage,  and  it's  agin  my  principles 
ever  to  shake  hands  with  a  coloured  man.  This  chap's 
a  damned  ugly  customer,  and  you  take  my  word  for 
it." 

Tabu-Tabu  grinned  again,  walked  to  the  rail,  and 
tossed  his  war  club  down  into  the  canoe. 

"Me  good  missionary  boy,"  he  said  rather  humbly. 

"McGuffey,  my  dear  boy,"  protested  Captain 
Scraggs,  "don't  be  so  doggone  rude.  You  might  hurt 
this  poor  lad's  feelin's.  Of  course  he's  only  a  simple 
native  nigger,  but  even  a  dawg  has  feelin's.  You " 

"A-r-r-rh!"  snarled  McGuffey. 

"You  two  belay  talkin'  and  snappin'  at  each  other," 
commanded  Mr.  Gibney,  "an'  leave  all  bargainin'  to 
me.  This  boy  is  all  right  and  we'll  get  along  first  rate 
if  you  two  just  haul  ship  and  do  somethin'  useful  be- 
sides buttin'  in  on  your  superior  officer.  Come  along, 
Tabu-Tabu.  Makee  little  eat  down  in  cabin.  You 
talkee  captain." 

"Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  sputtered  Captain  Scraggs, 


224  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

bursting  with  curiosity,  following  the  commodore's  re- 
appearance on  deck,  "  whatever 's  in  the  wind?" 

"Money — fortune,"  said  Mr.  Gibney  solemnly. 

McGuffey  edged  up  and  eyed  the  commodore  seri- 
ously. "Sure  there  ain't  a  little  fightin'  mixed  up  in 
it?  "he  asked. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  replied  Mr.  Gibney.  "You're 
as  safe  on  Kandavu  as  if  you  was  in  church.  This 
Tabu  kid  is  sort  of  prime  minister  to  the  king,  with  a 
heap  of  influence  at  court.  The  crew  of  a  British 
cruiser  stole  him  for  a  galley  police  when  he  was  a  kid, 
and  he  got  civilized  and  learned  to  talk  English.  He 
was  a  cannibal  in  them  days,  but  the  chaplain  aboard 
showed  him  how  foolish  it  was  to  do  such  things,  and 
finally  Tabu-Tabu  got  religion  and  asked  as  a  special 
favour  to  be  allowed  to  return  to  Kandavu  to  civilize 
his  people.  As  a  result  of  Tabu-Tabu's  efforts,  he  tells 
me  the  king  has  concluded  that  when  he  eats  a  white 
man  he's  flyin'  in  the  face  of  his  own  interests,  and  most 
generally  a  gunboat  comes  along  in  a  few  months  and 
shells  the  bush,  and — well,  anyhow,  there  ain't  been  a 
barbecue  on  Kandavu  for  ten  years.  It's  a  capital 
crime  to  eat  a  man  now,  and  punishable  by  boilin'  the 
offender  alive  in  palm  oil." 

"Well,"  rumbled  McGuffey,  "this  Tabu-Tabu  don't 
look  much  like  a  preacher,  if  you  ask  me.  But  how 
about  this  black  coral?" 

"Oh,  I've  ribbed  up  a  deal  with  him,"  said  Mr.  Gib- 
ney. "He'll  see  that  we  get  all  the  trade  we  can 
lug  away.  We're  the  first  vessel  that's  touched  here 
in  two  years,  and  they  have  a  thunderin'  lot  of  stuff  on 
hand.  Tabu's  gone  ashore  to  talk  the  king  into  doin' 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

business  with  us.  If  he  consents,  we'll  have  him  and 
Tabu-Tabu  and  three  or  four  of  the  sub-chiefs  aboard 
for  dinner,  or  else  he'll  invite  us  ashore  for  a  big  feed, 
and  we'll  have  to  go." 

"Supposin'  this  king  don't  care  to  have  any  truck 
with  us?"  inquired  McGuffey  anxiously. 

"In  that  case,  Mac,"  replied  the  commodore  with  a 
smile,  "we'll  just  naturally  shell  him  out  of  house 
and  home." 

"Well,  then,"  said  McGuffey,  "let's  get  the  guns 
ready.  Somethin'  tells  me  these  people  ain't  to  be 
trusted,  and  I'm  tellin'  you  right  now,  Gib,  I  won't 
sleep  well  to-night  unless  them  two  quarter  gatlings 
and  the  Maxim- Vickers  rapid-fire  guns  is  mounted  and 
ready  for  business." 

"All  right,  Mac,"  replied  Mr.  Gibney,  in  the  tone 
one  uses  when  humouring  a  baby.  "Set  'em  up  if  it'll 
make  you  feel  more  cheerful.  Still,  I  don't  see  why 
you  want  to  go  actin'  so  foolish  over  nothin'." 

"Well,  Gib,"  replied  the  engineer,  "I  may  be  crazy, 
but  I  ain't  no  fool,  and  if  there's  a  dead  whale  around 
the  ship,  I  can  come  pretty  near  smellin'  it.  I  tell  you, 
Gib,  that  Tabu-Tabu  nigger  had  a  look  in  his  eye  for 
all  the  world  like  a  cur  dog  lickin'  a  bone.  I  ain't 
takin'  no  chances.  My  old  man  used  to  say:  'Bart, 
whatever  you  do,  allers  have  an  anchor  out  to  wind- 
ward.'" 

"By  the  left  hind  leg  of  the  Great  Sacred  Bull," 
snapped  Captain  Scraggs  "if  you  ain't  enough  to  pre- 
cipitate war." 

"War,"  replied  McGuffey,  "is  my  long  suit — par- 
ticularly war  with  native  niggers.  I  just-  naturally 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

\ 

crave  to  punch  the  ear  of  anything  darker  than  a 
Portugee.  Remember  how  I  cleaned  out  the  police 
department  of  Panama?" 

"Mount  the  guns  if  you're  goin'  to,  Mac.  If  not, 
for  the  love  of  the  Lord  don't  be  demoralizin'  the  crew 
with  this  talk  of  war.  All  I  ask  is  that  you  set  the  guns 
up  after  I've  finished  my  business  here  with  Tabu- 
Tabu.  He's  been  on  a  war  vessel,  and  knows  what  guns 
are,  and  if  he  saw  you  mountin'  them  it  might  break  up 
our  friendly  relations.  He'll  think  we  don't  trust  him." 

"Well,  we  don't,"  replied  McGuffey  doggedly. 

"Well,  we  do,"  snapped  Captain  Scraggs. 

There  is  always  something  connected  with  the  use 
of  that  pronoun  of  kings  which  eats  like  a  canker  at 
the  heart  of  men  of  the  McGuffey  breed.  That  officer 
now  spat  on  the  deck,  in  defiance  of  the  rules  of  his  su- 
perior officers,  and  glared  at  Captain  Scraggs. 

"Speak  for  yourself,  you  miserable  little  wart,"  he 
roared.  "If  you  include  me  on  that  cannibal's  visitin' 
list,  and  go  to  contradictin'  me  agin,  I'll " 

"Mac,"  interrupted  Mr.  Gibney  angrily,  "control 
yourself.  It's  agin  the  rules  to  have  rag-chewin'  and 
backbitin'  on  the  Maggie  II.  Remember  our  motto: 
'All  for  one  and  one  for  all' " 

"Here  comes  that  sneakin'  bushy-headed  murderer 
back  to  the  vessel,"  interrupted  McGuffey.  "I  won- 
der what  devilment  he's  up  to  now." 

Mr.  McGuffey  was  partly  right,  for  in  a  few  minutes 
Tabu-Tabu  came  alongside,  climbed  aboard,  and  sa- 
laamed. Mr.  Gibney,  fearful  of  McGuffey 's  inability 
to  control  his  antipathy  for  the  race,  beckoned  Captain 
Scraggs  and  Tabu-Tabu  to  follow  him  down  into  the 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

cabin.  Meanwhile,  McGuffey  contented  himself  by 
parading  backward  and  forward  across  the  fo'castle 
head  with  a  Mauser  rifle  in  the  hollow  of  his  arm  and 
his  person  fairly  bristling  with  pistols  and  cutlasses. 
Whenever  one  of  the  flotilla  of  canoes  hove  to  at  a  re- 
spectful distance,  showed  signs  of  crossing  an  imagi- 
nary deadline  drawn  by  McGuffey,  he  would  point  his 
rifle  at  them  and  swear  horribly.  He  scowled 'at  Tabu- 
Tabu  when  that  individual  finally  emerged  from  the 
conference  with  Mr.  Gibney  and  Scraggs  and  went 
over  the  side  to  his  waiting  canoe. 

"Well,  what's  in  the  wind  this  time?"  inquired 
McGuffey. 

"We're  invited  to  a  big  feed  with  the  king  of  Kan- 
da  vu,"  replied  Captain  Scraggs,  as  happy  as  a  boy. 
"Hop  into  a  clean  suit  of  ducks,  Mac,  and  come  along. 
Gib's  goin  to  broach  a  little  keg  of  liquor  and  we'll 
make  a  night  of  it." 

"Good  lord,"  groaned  McGuffey,  "does  the  man 
think  I'm  low  enough  to  eat  with  niggers?" 

?" Leave  him  to  his  own  devices,"  said  Mr.  Gibney 
indulgently.  "Mac's  just  as  Irish  as  if  he'd  been  born 
in  Dublin  instead  of  his  old  man.  Nobody  yet  over- 
come the  prejudice  of  an  Irishman  so  we'll  do  the  hon- 
ours ourself,  Scraggsy,  old  skittles,  and  leave  Mac  in 
charge  of  the  ship." 

"Mind  you're  both  back  at  a  seasonable  hour,95 
warned  McGuffey.  "If  you  ain't,  I'll  suspect  mischief 
and — say !  Gib !  Well,  what's  the  use  talkin'  to  a  man 
with  an  imagination?  Only  if  I  have  to  go  ashore  after 
you  two,  those  islanders'll  date  time  from  my  visit, 
and  don't  you  forget  it." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

It  was  nearing  four  o'clock  that  afternoon  when 
Commodore  Gibney  and  his  navigating  officer,  Captain 
Scraggs,  both  faultlessly  arrayed  in  Panama  hats, 
white  ducks,  white  canvas  shoes,  cut  low,  showing  pink 
silk  socks,  and  wearing  broad,  black  silken  sashes  around 
their  waists,  climbed  over  the  side  into  the  whaleboat 
and  were  rowed  ashore  in  a  manner  befitting  their 
rank.  McGuffey  stood  at  the  rail  and  jeered  them, 
for  his  democratic  soul  could  take  no  cognizance  of 
form  or  ceremony  to  a  cannibal  king,  or  at  least  a  king 
but  recently  delivered  from  cannibalism. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

UPON  arrival  at  the  beach  the  two  adventurers 
were  met  by  a  contingent  of  frightful-looking 
savages  bearing  long  spears.  As  the  proces- 
sion formed  around  the  two  guests  of  honour  and 
plunged  into  the  bush,  bound  for  the  king's  wari,  two 
island  maidens  marched  behind  the  two  sea-dogs, 
waving  huge  palm-leaf  fans,  the  better  to  make  pass- 
age a  cool  and  comfortable  one. 

"By  the  gods  of  war,  Gib,  my  dear  boy/5  said  the  de- 
lighted Captain  Scraggs,  "but  this  is  class,  eh,  Gib?" 

"Every  time,"  responded  the  commodore.  "If 
that  chuckle-headed  McGuffey  only  had  the  sense  to 
come  along  he  might  be  enjoyin'  himself,  too.  You 
must  be  dignified,  Scraggsy,  old  salamander.  Remem- 
ber that  you're  bigger  an'  better'n  any  king,  because 
you're  an  American  citizen.  Be  dignified,  by  all  means. 
These  people  are  sensitive  and  peculiar,  and  that's  why 
we  haven't  taken  any  weapons  with  us.  If  they 
thought  we  doubted  then*  hospitality  they'd  have  the 
court  bouncer  heave  us  out  of  town  before  you  could 
say  Jack  Robinson." 

"I'd  love  to  see  them  giving  the  bounce  to  McGuf- 
fey,"  said  Captain  Scraggs  musingly.  Mr.  Gibney 
had  a  swift  mental  picture  of  such  a  proceeding  and 
chuckled  happily.  Had  he  been  permitted  a  glance 
at  McGuffey  at  that  moment  he  might  have  observed 

229 


£30  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

that  worthy  sweltering  in  the  heat  of  the  forward  hold 
of  the  Maggie  II,  for  he  was  busy  getting  his  guns  on 
deck.  From  which  it  will  readily  be  deduced  that  B. 
McGuffey,  Esquire,  was  following  the  advice  of  his  pa- 
ternal ancestor  and  getting  an  anchor  out  to  windward.  ! 

One  might  go  on  at  great  length  and  describe  the 
triumphal  entry  of  Commodore  Gibney  and  Captain 
Scraggs  into  the  capitol  of  Kandavu;  of  how  the  king, 
an  undersized,  shrivelled  old  savage,  stuck  his  bushy 
head  out  the  window  of  his  bungalow  when  he  saw  the 
procession  coming;  of  how  a  minute  later  he  advanced 
into  the  space  in  the  centre  of  his  wari,  where  in  the 
olden  days  the  populace  was  wont  to  gather  for  its 
cannibal  orgies;  how  he  greeted  his  distinguished  visi- 
tors with  the  most  prodigious  rubbing  of  noses  seen  in 
those  parts  for  many  a  day;  of  the  feast  that  followed; 
of  the  fowls  and  pigs  that  garnished  the  festive  board, 
not  omitting  the  keg  of  Three  Star  thoughtfully  pro- 
vided by  Mr.  Gibney. 

Tabu-Tabu  acted  as  interpreter  and  everything 
went  swimmingly  until  Tabu-Tabu,  his  hospitality 
doubtless  strengthened  by  frequent  libations  of  the 
Elixir  of  Life,  begged  Mr.  Gibney  to  invite  the  re- 
mainder of  his  crew  ashore  for  the  feast.  Mr.  Gibney, 
himself  rather  illuminated  by  this  time,  thought  it 
might  not  be  a  bad  idea. 

"It's  a  rotten  shame,  Scraggsy,"  he  said,  "to  think 
of  that  fool  McGuffey  not  bein'  here  to  enjoy  himself. 
I'm  goin'  to  send  a  note  out  to  him  by  one  of  Tabu- 
Tabu's  boys,  askin'  him  once  more  to  come  ashore,  or  to 
let  the  first  mate  and  one  or  two  of  the  seamen  come  if 
Mac  still  refuses  to  be  civil." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  231 

"Good  idea,  Gib,"  said  Captain  Scraggs,  his  mouth 
full  of  roast  chicken  and  yams.  So  Mr.  Gibney  tore  a 
leaf  out  of  his  pocket  memorandum  book,  scrawled  a 
note  to  McGuffey,  and  handed  it  to  Tabu-Tabu, 
who  at  once  dispatched  a  messenger  with  it  to  the 
Maggie  II. 

Within  half  an  hour  the  messenger  returned.  He  was 
wildly  excited  and  poured  a  torrent  of  native  gibberish 
into  the  attentive  ears  of  Tabu-Tabu  and  the  king. 
He  pointed  several  times  to  the  point  of  his  jaw, 
rubbed  the  small  of  his  back,  and  once  he  touched  his 
nose;  whereupon  Mr.  Gibney  was  aware  that  the  said 
organ  had  a  slight  list  to  port,  and  he  so  informed  Cap- 
tain Scraggs.  Neither  of  the  gentlemen  had  the  slight- 
est trouble  in  arriving  at  the  correct  solution  of  the 
mystery.  The  royal  messenger  had  been  inconti- 
ently  kicked  overboard  by  B.  McGuffey,  Esquire. 

Tabu-Tabu's  wild  eyes  glittered  and  grew  wilder  and 
wilder  as  the  messenger  reported  the  indignity  thus 
heaped  upon  him.  The  king  scowled  at  Captain  Scraggs, 
and  Mr.  Gibney  was  suddenly  aware  that  goose-flesh 
was  breaking  out  on  the  backs  of  his  sturdy  legs.  He 
had  a  haunting  sensation  that  not  only  had  he  crawled 
into  a  hole,  but  he  had  pulled  the  entire  aperture  in 
after  him.  For  the  first  time  he  began  to  fear  that  he 
had  been  too  precipitate,  and  with  the  thought  it  oc- 
curred to  the  gallant  commodore  that  he  would  be  much 
safer  back  on  the  decks  of  the  Maggie  II.  Always 
crafty  and  imaginative,  however,  Mr.  Gibney  came 
quickly  to  the  front  with  an  excuse  for  getting  back  to 
the  ship.  He  stepped  quickly  toward  the  little  group 
around  the  outraged  royal  ambassador,  and  inquired 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

the  cause  of  the  disturbance.  Quivering  with  rage, 
Tabu-Tabu  informed  him  of  what  had  occurred. 

Mr.  Gibney's  rage,  of  course,  knew  no  bounds. 
Nevertheless,  he  did  not  have  to  simulate  his  rage,  for 
he  was  truly  furious.  When  he  could  control  his  emo- 
tions, he  requested  Tabu-Tabu  to  inform  the  king  that 
he,  Gibney,  accompanied  by  Captain  Scraggs,  would 
forthwith  repair  to  the  schooner  and  then  and  there 
flay  the  offending  McGuffey  within  an  inch  of  his  life. 
Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  Mr.  Gibney  called  to 
Captain  Scraggs  to  follow  him,  and  started  for  the  beach. 

As  Captain  Scraggs  arose,  a  trifle  unsteadily,  from 
his  seat,  a  black  hand  reached  around  him  from  the  rear 
and  closed  over  his  mouth.  Now,  Captain  Scraggs  was 
well  versed  in  the  rough-and-tumble  tactics  of  the 
San  Francisco  waterfront;  hence,  when  he  felt  a  long 
pair  of  arms  crossing  over  his  neck  from  the  rear,  he 
merely  stooped  and  whirled  his  opponent  over  his  head. 
In  that  instant  his  mouth  was  free,  and  clear  above  the 
shouting  and  the  tumult  rose  his  frenzied  shriek  for 
help.  Mr.  Gibney  whirled  with  the  speed  and  agility 
of  a  panther  just  in  time  to  dodge  a  blow  from  a  war 
club.  His  fist  collided  with  the  jaw  of  Tabu-Tabu,  and 
down  went  that  savage  as  if  pole-axed. 

Pandemonium  broke  loose  at  once.  Captain  Scraggs, 
after  his  single  shriek  for  help,  broke  from  the  circle  of 
savages  and  fled  like  a  frightened  rabbit  for  the  beach. 
One  of  the  natives  hurled  a  rock  at  him.  The  missile 
took  Scraggs  in  the  back  of  the  head,  and  he  instantly 
curled  up  in  a  heap. 

"Scraggsy's  dead,"  thought  the  horrified  Gibney, 
and  sprang  at  the  king.  In  that  moment  it  came  to 


?*•••,. 


m 


"Captain  Scraggs.  .  . 
broke  from  the  circle  of 
savages  .  .  .  and  fled 
for  the  beach" 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  233 

Mr.  Gibney  to  sell  out  dearly,  and  if  lie  could  dispose  of 
the  king,  he  felt  that  Scraggs's  death  would  be  avenged. 
In  an  instant  the  commodore's  great  arms  had  closed 
around  the  king,  and  with  the  helpless  monarch  in  his 
grizzly  bear  grip  Mr.  Gibney  backed  up  against  the 
nearest  bungalow.  A  fringe  of  spears  threatened  him 
in  front,  but  for  the  moment  he  was  safe  behind,  and 
the  king's  body  protected  him.  Whenever  one  of  the 
savages  made  a  jab  at  Mr.  Gibney,  Mr.  Gibney  gave 
the  king  a  boa-constrictor  squeeze,  and  the  monarch 
howled. 

"I'll  squeeze  him  to  death,"  panted  Mr.  Gibney  to 
Tabu-Tabu  when  that  individual  had  managed  to  pick 
himself  up.  "Let  me  go,  or  I'll  kill  your  king." 

The  answer  was  an  earthenware  pot  which  crashed 
down  on  Mr.  Gibney's  head  from  a  window  in  the  bun- 
galow behind  him.  He  sagged  forward  and  fell  on  'his 
face  with  the  gasping  king  in  his  arms. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

ON  BOARD  the  Maggie  II B.  McGuffey,  Esquire, 
had  just  gotten  into  position  the  Maxim-Viekers 
"  pom-pom  "  gun  on  top  of  the  house.  The  last 
bolt  that  held  it  in  place  had  just  been  screwed  tight 
when  clear  and  shrill  over  the  tops  of  the  jungle  and 
across  the  still  surface  of  the  little  bay  there  floated  to 
McGuffey 's  ears  the  single  word: 

"Help!" 

McGuffey  leaned  against  the  gun,  and  for  the  mo- 
ment he  was  as  weak  as  a  child.  "Gawd,"  he  mut- 
tered, "that  was  Scraggsy  and  they're  a-goin'  to  eat 
him  up.  Oh,  Gib,  Gib,  old  man,  why  wouldn't  you 
listen  to  me?  Now  they've  got  you,  and  what  in  blazes 
I'm  going  to  do  to  get  you  back,  dead  or  alive,  I  dunno." 

McGuffey  could  hear  the  cries  and  general  uproar 
from  the  wari,  though  he  could  not  see  what  was  taking 
place.  In  a  minute  or  two,  however,  all  was  once  more 
silent,  silence  having  descended  on  the  scene  simultane- 
ously with  the  descent  of  the  earthenware  pot  on  Mr. 
Gibney's  head. 

"It's  all  over,"  said  McGuffey  sadly  to  the  mate. 
"  They've  killed  'em  both."  Whereupon  B.  McGuffey, 
Esquire,  sat  down  on  the  cabin  ventilator,  pulled  out  a 
bandana  handkerchief  and  wept  into  it,  for  his  honest 
Irish  heart  was  breaking. 

It  was  fully  half  an  hour  before  poor  McGuffey  could 

£34 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  235 

pull  himself  together,  and  when  he  did,  his  grief  was 
superseded  by  a  fit  of  rage  that  was  terrible  to  be- 
hold. 

"Step  lively,  you  blasted  scum  of  the  seas,"  he  bawled 
to  the  mate,  and  the  crew  gathered  around  the  gun. 
"Lug  up  a  case  of  ammunition  and  we'll  shell  that  bush 
until  even  a  parrot  won't  be  left  alive  in  it." 

"Aye,  aye,  sir,"  responded  the  crew  to  a  man,  and 
sprang  to  their  task. 

"I'm  an  old  navy  gunner,"  said  the  first  mate  quietly. 
"I'll  handle  the  gun.  With  a  'pom-pom'  gun  it's  just 
like  playing  a  garden  hose  on  them,  only  it's  high-ex- 
plosive shell  instead  of  water.  I  can  search  out  every 
nook  and  cranny  in  the  coast  of  this  island.  Those  guns 
are  sighted  up  to  4,000  yards." 

"Kill  'em  all,"  raved  McGuffey,  "kill  all  the  blasted 
niggers." 

When  Mr.  Gibney  fell  under  the  impact  of  the  earthen- 
ware pot  he  was  only  partially  stunned.  As  he  tried 
to  struggle  to  his  feet  half  a  dozen  hands  were  laid  on 
him  and  in  a  trice  he  was  lifted  and  carried  back  of  the 
wari  to  a  clear  space  where  a  dozen  heavy  teakwood 
posts  stood  in  a  row  about  four  feet  apart.  Mr.  Gib- 
ney was  quickly  stripped  of  his  clothing  and  bound  hand 
and  foot  to  one  of  these  posts.  Three  minutes  later 
another  delegation  of  cannibals  arrived,  bearing  the 
limp,  naked  body  of  Captain  Scraggs,  whom  they  bound 
in  similar  fashion  to  the  post  beside  Mr.  Gibney. 
Scraggs  was  very  white  and  bloody,  but  conscious,  and 
his  pale-blue  eyes  were  flickering  like  a  snake's. 

"What's— what's—the  meanin'  of  this,  Gib?"  he 
gasped. 


236  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"It  means,"  replied  the  commodore,  "that  it's  all  off 
but  the  shouting  with  me  and  you,  Scraggsy.  This 
fellow  Tabu-Tabu  is  a  damned  traitor,  and  his  people 
are  still  cannibals.  He's  the  decoy  to  get  white  men 
ashore.  They  schemed  to  treat  us  nice  and  be  friendly 
until  they  could  get  the  whole  crew  ashore,  or  enough 
of  them  to  leave  the  ship  helpless,  and  then — O  Gawd, 
Scraggsy,  old  man,  can  you  ever  forgive  me  for  gettin' 
you  into  this?" 

Captain  Scraggs  hung  his  head  and  quivered  like  a 
hooked  fish. 

"Will  they — eat — us?"  he  quavered,  finally. 

Mr.  Gibney  did  not  answer,  only  Captain  Scraggs 
looked  into  his  horrified  eyes  and  read  the  verdict. 

"Die  game,  Scraggsy,"  was  all  Mr.  Gibney  could  say. 
"Don't  show  the  white  feather." 

"D'ye  think  McGuffey  could  hear  us  from  here  if  we 
was  to  yell  for  help?"  inquired  Captain  Scraggs  hope- 
fully. 

"Don't  yelp,  for  Gawd's  sake,"  implored  Mr.  Gibney. 
"We  got  ourselves  into  this,  so  let's  pay  the  fiddler  our- 
selves. If  we  let  out  one  yip  and  McGuffey  hears  it, 
he'll  come  ashore  with  his  crew  and  tackle  this  outfit, 
even  if  he  knows  he'll  get  killed.  And  that's  just  what 
will  happen  to  him  if  he  comes.  Let  poor  Mac  stay 
aboard.  When  we  don't  come  back,  he'll  know  it's  all 
off,  and  if  he  has  time  to  think  over  it  he'll  realize  it 
would  be  foolish  to  try  to  do  anything.  But  right  now 
Mac's  mad  as  a  wet  hen,  and  if  we  holler  for  help — 
Scraggsy,  please  don't  holler.  Die  game." 

Captain  Scraggs  turned  his  terrified  glance  on  Mr* 
Gibney's  tortured  face.  Scraggs  was  certainly  a  coward 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  237 

at  heart,  but  there  was  something  in  Mr.  Gibney's  un- 
selfishness that  touched  a  spot  in  his  hard  nature — a 
something  he  never  knew  he  possessed.  He  bowed  his 
head  and  two  big  tears  stole  down  his  weatherbeaten 
face. 

"God  bless  you,  Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  he  said  brokenly. 
"You're  a  man." 

At  this  juncture  the  king  came  up  and  thoughtfully 
felt  of  Captain  Scraggs  in  the  short  ribs,  while  Tabu- 
Tabu  calculated  the  precise  amount  of  luscious  tissue 
on  Mr.  Gibney's  well-upholstered  frame. 

"Bimeby  we  eat  white  man,"  said  Tabu-Tabu  cheer- 
fully. 

"If  you  eat  me,  you  bloody-handed  beggar,"  snapped 
Captain  Scraggs,  "  I'll  pizen  you.  I've  chawed  tobacco 
all  my  life,  and  my  meat's  as  bitter  as  wormwood." 

It  was  too  funny  to  hear  Scraggs  jesting  with  death. 
Mr.  Gibney  forgot  his  own  mental  agony  and  roared 
with  laughter  in  Tabu-Tabu's  face.  The  cannibal  stood 
off  a  few  feet  and  looked  searchingly  in  the  commodore's 
eyes.  He  was  not  used  to  the  brand  of  white  man  who 
could  laugh  under  such  circumstances,  and  he  suspected 
treachery  of  some  kind.  He  hurried  over  to  join  the 
king  and  the  two  held  a  hurried  conversation.  As  a  re- 
sult of  their  conference,  a  huge  savage  was  called  over 
and  given  some  instructions.  Tabu-Tabu  handed  him 
a  war  club  and  Mr.  Gibney,  rightly  conjecturing  that 
this  was  the  official  executioner,  bowed  his  head  and 
waited  for  the  blow. 

It  came  sooner  than  he  expected.  The  earth  seemed 
to  rise  up  and  smite  Adelbert  P.  Gibney  across  the  face. 
There  was  a  roar,  as  of  an  explosion  in  his  ears,  and  he 


238  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

fell  forward  on  his  face.  He  had  a  confused  notion  that 
when  he  fell  the  post  came  with  him. 

For  nearly  a  minute  he  lay  there,  semi-conscious,  and 
then  something  warm,  dripping  across  his  face,  roused 
him.  He  moved,  and  found  that  his  feet  were  free, 
though  his  hands  were  still  bound  to  the  post,  which 
lay  extended  along  his  back.  He  rolled  over  and 
glanced  up.  Captain  Scraggs  was  shrieking.  By  de- 
grees the  bells  quit  ringing  in  the  commodore's  ears, 
and  this  is  what  he  heard  Captain  Scraggs  yelling: 

"Oh,  you  McGuffey.  Oh,  you  bully  Irish  terrier. 
Soak  it  to  'em,  Mac.  Kill  the  beggars.  You've  got  a 
dozen  of  'em  already.  Plug  away,  you  good  old  hunk 
of  Irish  bacon." 

Mr.  Gibney  was  now  himself  once  more.  He  strug- 
gled to  his  feet,  and  as  he  did,  something  burst  ten  feet 
away  and  a  little  fleecy  cloud  of  smoke  obscured  his 
vision  for  a  moment.  Then  he  understood.  McGuf- 
fey had  a  rapid-fire  gun  trained  on  the  wari,  and  the 
savages,  with  frightful  yells,  were  fleeing  madly  from 
the  little  shells.  Half  a  dozen  of  them  lay  dead  and 
wounded  close  by. 

"Hooray,"  yelled  Mr.  Gibney,  and  dashed  at  the 
post  which  held  Captain  Scraggs  prisoner.  He  struck 
it  a  powerful  blow  with  his  shoulder  and  Scraggs  and 
the  post  crashed  to  the  ground.  In  an  instant  Mr. 
Gibney  was  on  his  knees,  tearing  at  Scraggs's  rope  shack- 
les with  his  teeth.  Five  minutes  later,  Captain  Scraggs's 
hands  were  free.  Then  Scraggs  did  a  like  service  for 
Gibney. 

All  the  time  the  shells  from  the  Maggie  II  were  burst- 
ing around  them  every  second  or  two,  and  it  seemed 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  239 

as  if  they  must  be  killed  before  they  could  make  their 
escape. 

"Beat  it,  Scraggsy,"  yelled  Mr.  Gibney.  He  stood 
and  picked  up  a  war  club.  "Arm  yourself,  Scraggsy. 
Take  a  spear.  We  may  have  a  little  fighting  to  do 
on  the  beach,"  he  yelled.  Captain  Scraggs  helped 
himself  to  a  loose  spear,  and  side  by  side  they  raced 
through  the  jungle  for  the  beach. 

As  they  tore  along  through  the  jungle  path  Mr.  Gib- 
ney's  good  right  eye  (his  left  was  obscured)  detected 
two  savages  crouching  behind  a  clump  of  cocoa-palms. 

"There's  the  king  and  Tabu-Tabu,"  yelled  Scraggs. 
"Let's  round  the  beggars  up." 

"Sure,"  responded  the  commodore.  "We'll  need 
'em  for  hostages  if  we're  to  get  that  black  coral.  We'll 
turn  'em  over  to  McGuffey." 

"I'd  better  ease  up  a  minute,  sir,"  said  the  mate  to 
Mr.  McGuffey.  "  The  gun's  getting  fearful  hot." 

"Let  her  melt,"  raved  McGuffey,  "but  keep  her 
workin'  for  all  she's  worth.  I'll  have  revenge  for  Gib's 
death,  or — sufferin?  mackerel !  " 

McGuffey  once  more  sat  down  on  the  cabin  venti- 
lator. He  pointed  dumbly  to  the  beach,  and  there, 
paddling  off  to  the  Maggie  II,  were  two  naked  canni- 
bals and  two  naked  white  men  in  a  canoe.  Five  min- 
utes later  they  came  alongside.  McGuffey  met  them 
at  the  rail,  and  he  smiled  and  licked  his  lower  lip  as  the 
trembling  monarch  and  his  prime  minister,  in  response 
to  a  severe  application  of  Mr.  Gibney's  hands  and  feet, 
came  flying  over  the  rail.  Mr.  Gibney  and  Captain 
Scraggs  followed. 


240  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"I'm  much  obliged  to  you,  Mac,"  said  Mr.  Gibney, 
striving  bravely  to  appear  jaunty.  "One  of  your  first 
shots  came  between  my  legs  and  cut  the  rope  that  held 
me,  and  banged  me  and  the  post  I  was  tied  to  all  over 
the  lot.  A  fragment  of  the  shell  appears  to  have  taken 
away  part  of  my  ear,  but  I  guess  I'll  recover.  We're 
pretty  well  shook  up,  Mac,  old  socks,  and  a  jolt  of 
whisky  would  be  in  order  after  you've  put  the  irons  on 
these  two  cannibals." 

"You're  two  nice  bloody-lookin'  villains,  ain't 
you?"  was  McGuffey's  comment,  as  he  surveyed  the 
late  arrivals. 

" Which  two  do  you  mean?"  inquired  Mr.  Gibney, 
with  a  touch  of  asperity  in  his  tones. 

"I  dunno,"  replied  McGuffey.  "It's  pretty  hard  to 
distinguish  between  niggers  and  folks  that  goes  to  work 
an'  eats  with  'em." 

"Mac,"  said  Captain  Scraggs  severely,  "you're 
prejudiced." 


CHAPTER  XXV 

A""1  6:30  o'clock  of  the  morning  of  the  day  fol- 
lowing the  frightful  experience  of  Commodore 
Gibney  and  Captain  Scraggs  with  the  canni- 
bals of  Kandavu,  the  members  of  the  Maggie  II  Syn- 
dicate faced  each  other  across  the  breakfast  table  with 
appetites  in  no  wise  diminished  by  the  exciting  events 
of  the  preceding  day.  Captain  Scraggs  appeared  with 
a  lump  on  the  back  of  his  head  as  big  as  a  goose  egg. 
The  doughty  commodore  had  a  cut  over  his  right  eye, 
and  the  top  of  his  sinful  head  was  so  sore,  where  the 
earthenware  pot  had  struck  him,  that  even  the  simple 
operation  of  winking  his  bloodshot  eyes  was  productive 
of  pain.  About  a  teaspoonful  of  Kandavu  real  estate 
had  also  been  blown  into  Mr.  Gibney's  classic  features 
when  the  shells  from  the  Maxim-Vickers  gun  exploded 
in  his  immediate  neighbourhood,  and  as  he  naively 
remarked  to  Bartholomew  McGuffey,  he  was  in  luck 
to  be  alive. 

McGuffey  surveyed  his  superior  officers,  cursed 
them  bitterly,  and  remarked,  with  tears  of  joy  in  his 
honest  eyes,  that  both  gentlemen  had  evaded  their  just 
deserts  when  they  escaped  with  their  lives.  "If  it 
hadn't  been  for  the  mate,"  said  McGuffey  severely, 
"I'd  'a'  let  you  two  boobies  suffer  the  penalty  for  your 
foolishness.  Any  man  that  goes  to  work  and  fra- 
ternizes with  a  cannibal  ain't  got  no  kick  comin'  if  he's 

241 


242  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

made  up  into  chicken  curry  with  rice.  The  minute  I 
hear  old  Scraggsy  yippin'  for  help,  says  I  to  myself, 
'let  the  beggars  fight  their  own  way  out  of  the  mess.5 
But  the  mate  comes  a-runnin'  up  and  says  he's  pretty 
sure  he  can  come  near  plantin'  a  mess  of  shells  in  the 
centre  of  the  disturbance,  even  if  we  can't  see  the  wari 
on  account  of  the  jungle.  'It's  all  off  with  the  commo- 
dore and  the  skipper  anyhow,'  says  the  mate,  'so  we 
might  just  as  well  have  vengeance  on  their  murderers.' 
So,  of  course,  when  he  put  it  that  way  I  give  my  con- 
sent  " 

At  this  juncture  the  mate,  passing  around  McGuffey 
on  his  way  to  the  deck,  winked  solemnly  at  Mr.  Gibney, 
who  hung  his  war-worn  head  in  simulated  shame.  When 
the  mate  had  left  the  cabin  the  commodore  pounded 
with  his  fork  on  the  cabin  table  and  announced  a  special 
meeting  of  the  Maggie  II  Syndicate. 

"The  first  business  before  the  meeting,"  said  Mr. 
Gibney,  "is  to  readjust  the  ownership  in  the  syndicate. 
Me  and  Scraggsy's  had  our  heads  together,  Mac,  and 
we've  agreed  that  you've  shot  your  way  into  a  full  one- 
third  interest,  instead  of  a  quarter  as  heretofore.  From 
now  on,  Mac,  you're  an  equal  owner  with  me  and 
Scraggsy,  and  now  that  that  matter's  settled,  you  can 
quit  rippin'  it  into  us  on  the  race  question  and  suggest 
what's  to  be  done  in  the  case  of  Tabu-Tabu  and  this 
cannibal  king  that  almost  lures  me  and  the  navigatin' 
officer  to  our  destruction." 

"I  have  the  villains  in  double  irons  and  chained  to 
the  mainmast,"  replied  McGuffey,  "and  as  a  testi- 
monial of  my  gratitude  for  the  increased  interest  in  the 
syndicate  which  you  and  Scraggs  has  just  voted  me,  I 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  243 

will  scheme  up  a  fittin'  form  of  vengeance  on  them  two 
tar  babies.  However,  only  an  extraordinary  sentence 
can  fit  such  an  extraordinary  crime,  so  I  must  have 
time  to  think  it  over.  These  two  bucks  is  mine  to  do 
what  I  please  with  and  I'll  take  any  interference  as 
unneighbourly  and  unworthy  of  a  shipmate." 

"Take  'em,"  said  Captain  Scraggs  vehemently. 
"For  my  part  I  only  ask  one  thing.  If  you  can  see 
your  way  clear,  Mac,  to  give  me  the  king's  scalp  for  a 
tobacco  pouch,  I'll  be  obliged." 

"And  I,"  added  the  commodore,  "would  like  Tabu- 
Tabu's  shin  bone  for  a  clarionet.  Pendin'  McGuffey's 
reflections  on  the  hamperin'  of  crime  in  Kandavu,  how- 
ever, we'll  turn  our  attention  to  the  prime  object  of  the 
expedition.  We've  had  our  little  fun  and  it's  high  time 
we  got  down  to  business.  It  will  be  low  tide  at  nine 
o'clock,  so  I  suggest,  Scraggs,  that  you  order  the  mate 
and  two  seamen  out  in  the  big  whaleboat,  together 
with  the  divin'  apparatus,  and  we'll  go  after  pearl  oys- 
ters and  black  coral.  As  for  you,  Mac,  suppose  you 
take  the  other  boat  and  Tabu-Tabu  and  the  king,  and 
help  the  mate.  Take  a  rifle  along  with  you,  and  make 
them  captives  dive  for  pearl  oysters  until  they're  black 
in  the  face " 

"Huh!"  muttered  the  single-minded  McGuffey. 
"  What  are  they  now?  Sky  blue?  " 

"Of  course,"  continued  the  commodore,  "if  a  tiger 
shark  happens  along  and  picks  the  niggers  up,  it  ain't 
none  of  our  business.  As  for  me  and  Scraggsy,  we'll 
sit  on  deck  and  smoke.  My  head  aches  and  I  guess 
Scraggsy's  in  a  similar  fix." 

"Anythin'  to  be  agreeable,"  acquiesced  McGuffey. 


244  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

After  breakfast  Commodore  Gibney  ordered  that  the 
prisoners  be  brought  before  him.  The  cook  served 
them  with  breakfast,  and  as  they  ate,  the  commodore 
reminded  them  that  it  was  only  through  his  personal 
efforts  and  his  natural  disinclination  to  return  blow  for 
blow  that  they  were  at  that  moment  enjoying  a  square 
meal  instead  of  swinging  in  the  rigging. 

"I'm  goin'  to  give  you  two  yeggs  a  chance  to  reform," 
concluded  Mr.  Gibney,  addressing  Tabu-Tabu.  "If 
you  show  us  where  we  can  get  a  cargo  of  black  coral 
and  work  hard  and  faithful  helpin'  us  to  get  it  aboard, 
it  may  help  you  to  comb  a  few  gray  hairs.  I'm  goin'  to 
take  the  irons  off  now,  but  remember!  At  the  first 
sign  of  the  double-cross  you're  both  shark  meat." 

On  behalf  of  himself  and  the  king,  Tabu-Tabu 
promised  to  behave,  and  McGuffey  kicked  them  both 
into  the  small  boat.  The  mate  and  two  seamen  fol- 
lowed in  another  boat,  in  which  the  air-pump  and  diving 
apparatus  was  carried,  and  Tabu-Tabu  piloted  them  to 
a  patch  of  still  water  just  inside  the  reef.  The  water 
was  so  clear  that  McGuffey  was  enabled  to  make  out 
vast  marine  gardens  thickly  sprinkled  with  the  pre- 
cious black  coral. 

"Over  you  go,  you  two  smokes,"  rasped  McGuffey, 
menacing  the  captives  with  his  rifle.  "Dive  deep,  my 
hearties,  and  bring  up  what  you  can  find,  and  if  a  shark 
comes  along  and  takes  a  nip  out  of  your  hind  leg,  don't 
expect  no  help  from  B.  McGuffey,  Esquire — because 
you  won't  get  any." 

Thus  encouraged,  the  two  cannibals  dove  overboard. 
McGuffey  could  see  them  pawing  around  on  the  bottom 
of  the  little  bay,  and  after  half  a  minute  each  came  up 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  245 

with  a  magnificent  spray  of  coral.  They  hung  to  the 
side  of  the  boat  until  they  could  get  their  breath,  then 
repeated  the  performance.  In  the  meantime,  the  mate 
had  sent  his  two  divers  below  to  loosen  the  coral;  with 
the  result  that  when  both  boats  returned  to  the  Maggie 
II  at  noon  Captain  Scraggs  fairly  gurgled  with  delight 
at  the  results  of  the  morning's  work,  and  Mr.  Gibney 
declared  that  his  headache  was  gone.  He  and  Captain 
Scraggs  had  spent  the  morning  seated  on  deck  under 
an  awning,  watching  the  beach  for  signs  of  a  sortie  on 
the  part  of  the  natives  of  Kandavu  to  recapture  their 
king.  Apparently,  however,  the  destructive  fire  from 
the  pom-pom  gun  the  night  before  had  so  terrified  them 
that  the  entire  population  had  emigrated  to  the  north- 
ern end  of  the  island,  leaving  the  invaders  in  undis- 
puted possession  of  the  bay  and  its  hidden  treasures  of 
coral  and  pearl  and  shell. 

For  nearly  two  weeks  the  Maggie  II  lay  at  anchor, 
while  her  crew  laboured  daily  in  the  gardens  of  the 
deep.  Vast  quantities  of  pearl  oysters  were  brought  to 
the  surface,  and  these  Mr.  Gibney  stewed  personally  in 
a  great  iron  pot  on  the  beach.  The  shell  was  stored 
away  hi  the  hold  and  the  pearls  went  into  a  chamois 
pouch  which  never  for  an  instant  was  out  of  the  commo- 
dore's possession.  The  coast  at  that  point  being  now 
deserted,  frequent  visits  ashore  were  made,  and  the 
crew  feasted  on  young  pig,  chicken,  yams,  and  other 
delicacies.  Captain  Scraggs  was  almost  delirious  with 
joy.  He  announced  that  he  had  not  been  so  happy 
since  Mrs.  Scraggs  "slipped  her  cable." 

At  the  end  of  two  weeks  Mr.  Gibney  decided  that 
there  was  "loot"  enough  ashore  to  complete  the 


246  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

schooner's  cargo,  and  at  a  meeting  of  the  syndicate  held 
one  lovely  moonlight  night  on  deck  he  announced  his 
plans  to  Captain  Scraggs  and  McGuffey. 

"Better  leave  the  island  alone,"  counselled  McGuffey. 
"Them  niggers  may  be  a-layin'  there  ten  thousand 
strong,  waitin'  for  a  boat's  crew  to  come  prowlin'  up 
into  the  bush  so  they  can  nab  'em." 

"I've  thought  of  that,  Mac,"  said  the  commodore  a 
trifle  coldly,  "and  if  I  made  a  sucker  of  myself  once  it 
don't  stand  to  reason  that  I'm  apt  to  do  it  again.  Re- 
member, Mac,  a  burnt  child  dreads  the  fire.  To-mor- 
row morning,  right  after  breakfast,  we'll  turn  the  guns 
loose  and  pepper  the  bush  for  a  mile  or  two  in  every 
direction.  If  there's  a  native  within  range  he'll  have 
business  in  the  next  county  and  we  won't  be  disturbed 


none." 


Mr.  Gibney's  programme  was  duly  put  through  and 
capital  of  Kandavu  looted  of  the  trade  accumulations 
the  of  years.  And  when  the  hatches  were  finally  bat- 
tened down,  the  tanks  refilled  with  fresh  water,  and 
everything  in  readiness  to  leave  Kandavu  for  the  run  to 
Honolulu,  Mr.  Gibney  announced  to  the  syndicate 
that  the  profits  of  the  expedition  would  figure  close  up 
to  a  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Captain  Scraggs 
gasped  and  fell  limply  against  the  mainmast. 

"Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  he  sputtered,  "are  you  sure  it 
ain't  all  a  dream  and  that  we'll  wake  up  some  day  and 
find  that  we're  still  in  the  green-pea  trade;  that  all  these 
months  we've  been  asleep  under  a  cabbage  leaf,  com- 
munin'  with  potato  bugs?" 

"Not  for  a  minute,"  replied  the  commodore.  "  Why, 
I  got  a  dozen  matched  pearls  here  that's  fit  for  a  queen. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  247 

Big,  red,  pear-shaped  boys — regular  bleedin*  hearts. 
There's  ten  thousand  each  in  them  alone." 

"Well,  I'll — I'll  brew  some  grog,"  gasped  Captain 
Scraggs,  and  departed  forthwith  to  the  galley.  Fifteen 
minutes  later  he  returned  with  a  kettle  of  his  favourite 
nepenthe  and  all  three  adventurers  drank  to  a  bon 
voyage  home.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  toast  Mr.  Mc- 
Guffey  set  down  his  glass,  wiped  his  mouth  with  the 
back  of  his  hairy  hand,  and  thus  addressed  the  syn- 
dicate. 

"In  leavin'  this  paradise  of  the  South  Pacific,"  he 
began,  "  we  find  that  we  have  accumulated  other  wealth 
besides  the  loot  below  decks.  I  refer  to  His  Royal 
Highness,  the  king  of  Kandavu,  and  his  prime  minister, 
Tabu-Tabu.  When  these  two  outlaws  was  first  cap- 
tured, I  informed  the  syndicate  that  I  would  scheme 
out  a  punishment  befittin'  their  crime,  to-wit — mur- 
derin'  an'  eatin'  you  two  boys.  It's  been  a  big  job  and 
it's  taken  some  time,  me  not  bein'  blessed  with  quite  as 
fine  an  imagination  as  our  friend,  Gib.  However,  I 
pride  myself  that  hard  work  always  brings  success,  and 
I  am  ready  to  announce  what  disposition  shall  be  made 
of  these  two  interestin'  specimens  of  aboriginal  life.  I 
beg  to  announce,  gentlemen,  that  I  have  invented  a 
punishment  fittin'  the  crime." 

"Impossible,"  said  Captain  Scraggs. 

"Shut  up,  Scraggs,"  struck  in  Commodore  Gibney. 
" Out  with  it,  Mac.  What's  the  programme?  " 

"I  move  you,  members  of  the  syndicate,  that  the 
schooner  Maggie  II  proceed  to  some  barren,  uninhab- 
ited island,  and  that  upon  arrival  there  this  savage 
king  and  his  still  more  savage  subject  be  taken  ashore 


248  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

in  a  small  boat.  I  also  move  you,  gentlemen  of  the 
syndicate,  that  inasmuch  as  the  two  aggrieved  parties, 
A.  P.  Gibney  and  P.  'Scraggs,  having  in  a  sperrit  of 
mercy  refrained  from  layin'  their  hands  on  said  prison- 
ers for  fear  of  invalidin'  them  at  a  time  when  their 
services  was  of  importance  to  the  expedition,  be  given 
an  opportunity  to  take  out  their  grudge  on  the  persons 
of  said  savages.  Now,  I  notice  that  the  king  is  a  miser- 
able, skimpy,  sawed-off,  and  hammered-down  old  cove. 
By  all  the  rules  of  the  prize  ring  he's  in  Scraggsy's  class." 
(Here  Mr.  McGuffey  flashed  a  lightning  wink  to  the 
commodore.  It  was  an  appeal  for  Mr.  Gibney 's  moral 
support  in  the  engineer's  scheme  to  put  up  a  job  on  Cap- 
tain Scraggs,  and  thus  relieve  the  tedium  of  the  home- 
ward trip.  Mr.  Gibney  instantly  telegraphed  his  ap- 
probation, and  McGuffey  continued.)  "I  notice  also 
that  if  I  was  to  hunt  the  universe  over,  I  couldn't  find 
a  better  match  for  Gib  than  Tabu-Tabu.  And  as  we 
are  all  agreed  that  the  white  race  is  superior  to  any  race 
on  earth,  and  it'll  do  us  all  good  to  see  a  fine  mill  before 
we  leave  the  country,  I  move  you,  gentlemen  of  the 
syndicate,  that  we  pull  off  a  finish  fight  between  Scrag- 
gsy  and  the  king,  and  Gib  and  Tabu-Tabu.  I'll  referee 
both  contests  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  mixup  we'll 
leave  these  two  murderers  marooned  on  the  island  and 
then " 

"Rats,"  snapped  Captain  Scraggs.  "That  ain't  no 
business  at  all.  You  shouldn't  consider  nothin'  short 
of  capital  punishment.  Why,  that's  only  a  petty  lar- 
ceny form  of " 

"Quit  buttin'  in  on  my  prerogatives,"  roared  Mc- 
Guffey. "  That  ain't  the  finish  by  no  means." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  249 

"What  is  the  finish,  then?" 

"Why,  these  two  cannibals,  bein'  left  alone  on  the 
desert  island,  naturally  bumps  up  agin  the  old  question 
of  the  survival  of  the  fittest.  They  get  scrappin'  among 
themselves,  and  one  eats  the  other  up." 

"By  the  toe-nails  of  Moses,"  muttered  Mr.  Gibney 
in  genuine  admiration,  "but  you  have  got  an  imagina- 
tion after  all,  Mac.  The  point  is  well  taken  and  the 
programme  will  go  through  as  outlined.  Scraggs,  you'll 
fight  the  king.  No  buckin'  and  grumblin'.  You'll 
fight  the  king.  You're  outvoted  two  to  one,  the  thing's 
been  done  regular,  and  you  can't  kick.  I'll  fight  Tabu- 
Tabu,  so  you  see  you're  not  gettin'  any  the  worst  of  it. 
We'll  proceed  to  an  island  in  the  Friendly  Group  called 
Tuvana-tholo.  It  lies  right  in  our  homeward  course, 
and  there  ain't  enough  grub  on  the  confounded  island 
to  last  two  men  a  week.  And  I  know  there  ain't  no 
water  there.  So,  now  that  that  matter  is  all  settled, 
we  will  proceed  to  heave  the  anchor  and  scoot  for  home. 
Mac,  tune  up  your  engines  and  we'll  get  out  of  here 
a-whoopin'  and  a-flyin'." 

Ten  minutes  later  the  anchor  was  hanging  at  the 
hawsepipe,  and  under  her  power  the  Maggie  II  swung 
slowly  in  the  lagoon,  pointed  her  sharp  bow  for  the 
opening  in  the  reef,  and  bounded  away  for  the  open  sea. 
Captain  Scraggs  jammed  on  all  of  her  lower  sails  and 
within  two  hours  the  island  of  Kandavu  had  faded 
forever  from  their  vision. 

It  was  an  eight-hundred-mile  run  up  to  Tuvana- 
tholo,  but  the  weather  held  good  and  the  trade-winds 
never  slackened.  Ten  days  from  the  date  of  leaving 
Kandavu  they  hove  to  off  the  island.  It  was  a  long, 


250  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

low,  sandy  atoll,  with  a  few  cocoanut-palms  growing 
in  the  centre  of  it,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  vast  col- 
ony of  seabirds  that  apparently  made  it  their  headquar- 
ters, the  island  was  devoid  of  life. 

The  bloodthirsty  McGuffey  stood  at  the  break  of  the 
poop,  and  as  he  gazed  shoreward  he  chuckled  and  rub- 
bed his  hands  together. 

"Great,  great,"  he  murmured.  "I  couldn't  have 
gotten  a  better  island  if  I'd  had  one  built  to  order."  He 
called  aft  to  the  navigating  officer:  "Scraggsy,  there's 
the  ring.  Nothin'  else  to  do  now  but  get  the  contest- 
ants into  it.  Along  in  the  late  afternoon,  when  the  heat 
of  the  day  is  over,  we'll  go  ashore  and  pull  off  the  fight. 
And,  by  George,  Scraggs,  if  that  old  king  succeeds  in 
lambastin'  you,  I'll  set  the  rascal  free." 

"I'll  lick  him  with  one  hand  tied  and  the  other  para- 
lyzed," retorted  Captain  Scraggs  with  fine  nonchalance. 
"No  need  o*  waitin'  on  my  account.  Heat  or  no  heat, 
I'm  just  naturally  pinin'  to  beat  up  the  royal  person." 

"If  this  ain't  the  best  idea  I  ever  heard  of,  I'm  a 
Dutchman,"  replied  McGuffey.  "A  happy  combina- 
tion of  business  and  pleasure.  Who  fights  first,  Gib? 
You  or  Scraggs?  " 

"I  guess  I'd  better  open  the  festivities,"  said  Mr. 
Gibney  amiably. «  "I  ain't  no  kill-joy  and  I  want  Scrag- 
gsy  to  get  some  fun  out  of  this  frolic.  If  I  fight  first  the 
old  kiddo  can  look  on  in  peace  and  enjoy  the  sight,  and 
if  him  and  the  king  fights  first  perhaps  he  won't  be  in  no 
condition  to  appreciate  the  spectacle  that  me  and  Tabu- 
Tabu  puts  up." 

"That's  logic,"  assented  McGuffey  solemnly;  "that's 
logic." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  251 

Seeing  that  there  was  no  escape,  Captain  Scraggs 
decided  to  bluff  the  matter  through.  "Let's  go  ashore 
and  have  it  over  with,"  he  said  carelessly.  "I'm  a  man 
of  peace,  but  when  there's  fightin'  to  be  done,  I  say  go 
to  it  and  no  tomfoolery." 

Mr.  Gibney  winked  slyly  at  McGuffey.  They  each 
knew  Scraggs  little  relished  the  prospect  before  him, 
though  to  do  him  justice  he  was  mean  enough  to  fight 
and  fight  well,  if  he  thought  he  had  half  a  chance  to  get 
the  decision.  But  he  knew  the  king  was  as  hard  as  tacks, 
and  was  more  than  his  match  in  a  rough  and  tumble, 
and  while  he  spoke  bravely  enough,  his  words  did  not 
deceive  his  shipmates,  and  inwardly  they  shook  with 
laughter. 

"Clear  away  the  big  whaleboat  with  two  men  to  pull 
us  ashore,"  said  Mr.  Gibney  to  the  mate.  Five  minutes 
later  the  members  of  the  syndicate,  accompanied  by 
the  captives,  climbed  into  the  whaleboat  and  shoved 
off,  leaving  the  Maggie  II  in  charge  of  the  mate.  "  We'll 
be  back  in  half  an  hour,"  called  the  commodore,  as  they 
rowed  away  from  the  schooner.  "Just  ratch  back  and 
forth  and  keep  heavin'  the  lead." 

They  negotiated  the  fringe  of  breakers  to  the  north 
of  the  island  successfully,  pulled  the  boat^up  on  the 
beach,  and  proceeded  at  once  to  business.  Mr.  Gib- 
ney explained  to  Tabu-Tabu  what  was  expected  of  him, 
and  Tabu-Tabu  in  turn  explained  to  the  king.  It  was 
not  the  habit  of  white  men,  so  Mr.  Gibney  explained, 
to  kill  their  prisoners  in  cold  blood,  and  he  had  decided 
to  give  them  an  opportunity  to  fight  their  way  out  of  a 
sad  predicament  with  their  naked  fists.  If  they  won, 
.they  would  be  taken  back  aboard  the  schooner  and  later 


252  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

dropped  at  some  inhabited  island.  If  they  lost,  they 
must  make  their  home  for  the  future  on  Tuvana-tholo. 

"Let  'er  go,"  called  McGuffey,  and  Mr.  Gibney 
squared  off  and  made  a  bear-like  pass  at  Tabu-Tabu. 
To  the  amazement  of  all  present  Tabu-Tabu  sprang 
lightly  backward  and  avoided  the  blow.  His  footwork 
was  excellent  and  McGuffey  remarked  as  much  to  Cap- 
tain Scraggs.  But  when  Tabu-Tabu  put  up  his  hands 
after  the  most  approved  method  of  self-defense  and 
dropped  into  a  "crouch,"  McGuffey  could  no  longer 
contain  himself. 

"The  beggar  can  fight,  the  beggar  can  fight,"  he 
croaked,  wild  with  joy.  "Scraggs,  old  man,  this'll  be 
a  rare  mill,  I  promise  you.  He's  been  aboard  a  British 
man-o'-war  and  learned  how  to  box.  Steady,  Gib. 
Upper-cut  him,  upper — wow!" 

Tabu-Tabu  had  stepped  in  and  planted  a  mighty 
right  in  the  centre  of  Mr.  Gibney's  physiognomy,  fol- 
lowing it  up  with  a  hard  left  to  the  commodore's  ear. 
Mr.  Gibney  rocked  a  moment  on  his  sturdy  legs,  step- 
ped back  out  of  range,  dropped  both  hands,  and  stared 
at  Tabu-Tabu. 

"I  do  believe  the  nigger'll  lick  you,  Gib,"  said  Mc- 
Guffey anxiously.  "He's  got  a  horrible  reach  and  a 
mule  kick  in  each  mit.  Close  with  him,  or  he's  due  for 
a  full  pardon." 

"In  a  minute,"  said  the  commodore  faintly.  "He's 
so  good  I  hate  to  hurt  him.  But  I'll  infight  him  to  a 
finish." 

Which  Mr.  Gibney  forthwith  proceeded  to  do.  He 
rushed  his  opponent  and  clinched,  though  not  until  his 
right  eye  was  in  mourning  and  a  stiff  jolt  in  the  short 


planted  a  mighty 
right  in  the  centre 
of  Mr.  Gibney's 
physiognomy" 


THE  GREEN-PEA  .PIRATES  253 

ribs  had  caused  him  to  grunt  in  most  ignoble  fashion. 
But  few  men  could  withstand  Mr.  Gibney  once  he  got 
to  close  quarters.  Tabu-Tabu  wrapped  his  long  arms 
around  the  commodore  and  endeavoured  to  smother  his 
blows,  but  Mr.  Gibney  would  not  be  denied.  His  great 
fist  shot  upward  from  the  hip  and  connected  with  the 
cannibal's  chin.  Tabu-Tabu  relaxed  his  hold,  Mr. 
Gibney  followed  with  left  and  right  to  the  head  in  quick 
succession,  and  McGuffey  was  counting  the  fatal  ten 
over  the  fallen  warrior. 

Mr.  Gibney  grinned  rather  foolishly,  spat,  and  spoke 
to  McGuffey,  soto  voce:  "By  George,  the  joke  ain't 
all  on  Scraggsy,"  he  said.  Then  turning  to  Captain 
Scraggs:  "Help  yourself  to  the  mustard,  Scraggsy,  old 
tarpot." 

Captain  Scraggs  took  off  his  hat,  rolled  up  his  sleeves, 
and  made  a  dive  for  the  royal  presence.  His  majesty, 
lacking  the  scientific  training  of  his  prime  minister, 
seized  a  handful  of  the  Scraggs  mane  and  tore  at  it 
cruelly8  A  well-directed  kick  in  the  shins,  however, 
caused  him  to  let  go,  and  a  moment  later  he  was  flying 
up  the  beach  with  the  angry  Scraggs  in  full  cry  after  him. 
McGuffey  headed  the  king  off  and  rounded  him  up  so 
Scraggs  could  get  at  him,  and  the  latter  at  once  "dug 
in"  like  a  terrier.  After  five  minutes  of  mauling  and 
tearing  Captain  Scraggs  was  out  of  breath,  so  he  let 
go  and  stood  off  a  few  feet  to  size  up  the  situation.  The 
wicked  McGuffey  was  laughing  immoderately,  but  to 
Scraggs  it  was  no  laughing  matter.  The  fact  of  the 
matter  was  the  king  was  dangerous  and  Scraggs  had 
glutted  himself  with  revenge. 

"I  don't  want  to  beat  an  old  man  to  death,"  he 


254  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

gasped  finally.  "I'll  let  the  scoundrel  go.  He's  had 
enough  and  he  won't  fight.  Let's  mosey  along  back  to 
the  schooner  and  leave  them  here  to  amuse  themselves 
the  best  way  they  know  how." 

"Right-O,"  said  Mr.  Gibney,  and  turned  to  walk 
down  the  beach  to  the  boat.  A  second  later  a  hoarse 
scream  of  rage  and  terror  broke  from  his  lips. 

"What's  up?"  cried  McGuffey,  the  laughter  dying 
out  of  his  voice,  for  there  was  a  hint  of  death  in  Mr. 
Gibney's  cry. 

"  Marooned ! "  said  the  commodore  hoarsely.  "  Those 
two  sailors  have  pulled  back  to  the  schooner,  and — 
there— look,  Mac !  My  Gawd ! " 

McGuffey  looked,  and  his  face  went  whiter  than  the 
foaming  breakers  beyond  which  he  could  see  the  Mag- 
gie II,  under  full  sail,  headed  for  the  open  sea.  The 
small  boat  had  been  picked  up,  and  there  was  no  doubt 
that  at  her  present  rate  of  speed  the  schooner  would  be 
hull  down  on  the  horizon  by  sunset. 

"The  murderin'  hound,"  whispered  McGuffey,  and 
sagged  down  on  the  sands.  "Oh,  the  murderin'  hound 
of  a  mate!" 

"It's — it's  mutiny,"  gulped  Captain  Scraggs  in  a 
hard,  strained  voice.  "That  bloody  fiend  of  a  mate! 
The  sly  sneak-thief,  whith  his  pleasant  smile  and  his 
winnin'  ways!  Saw  a  chance  to  steal  the  Maggie  and 
her  rich  cargo,  and  he  is  leavin'  us  here,  marooned  on  a 
desert  island,  with  two  cannibals." 

Captain  Scraggs  fairly  shrieked  the  last  two  words 
and  burst  into  tears.  "Lord,  Gib,  old  man,"  he  raved, 
"whatever  will  we  do?" 

Thus  appealed  to,  the  doughty  commodore  permitted 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  255 

his  two  unmatched  optics  to  rest  mournfully  upon  his 
shipmates.  For  nearly  a  minute  he  gazed  at  them,  the 
while  he  struggled  to  stifle  the  awful  fear  within  him. 
In  the  Gibney  veins  there  flowed  not  a  drop  of  craven 
blood,  but  the  hideous  prospect  before  him  was  almost 
more  than  the  brave  commodore  could  bear.  Death, 
quick  and  bloody,  had  no  terrors  for  him,  but  a  finish 
like  this — a  slow  finish — thirst,  starvation,  heat 

He  gulped  and  thoughtfully  rubbed  the  knuckles  of 
his  right  hand  where  the  skin  was  barked  off.  He 
thought  of  the  silly  joke  he  and  McGuffey  had  thought 
to  perpetrate  on  Captain  Scraggs  by  leading  him  up 
against  a  beating  at  the  hands  of  a  cannibal  king,  and 
with  the  thought  came  a  grim,  hard  chuckle,  though 
there  was  the  look  of  a  thousand  devils  in  his  eyes. 

"Well,  boys,"  he  said  huskily,  "who's  looney  now?" 

"What's  to  be  done?"  asked  McGuffey. 

"  Well,  Mac,  old  sporty  boy,  I  guess  there  ain't  much 
to  do  except  to  make  up  our  minds  to  die  like  gentlemen. 
If  I  was  ever  fooled  by  a  man  in  my  life,  I  was  fooled 
by  that  doggone  mate.  I  thought  he'd  tote  square 
with  the  syndicate.  I  sure  did." 

For  a  long  time  McGuffey  gazed  seaward.  He  was 
slower  than  his  shipmates  in  making  up  his  mind  that 
the  mate  had  really  deserted  them  and  sailed  away 
with  the  fortunes  of  the  syndicate.  Of  the  three,  how- 
ever, the  stoical  engineer  accepted  the  situation  with 
the  best  grace.  He  spurned  the  white  sand  with  his 
foot  and  faced  Mr.  Gibney  and  Captain  Scraggs  with 
just  the  suspicion  of  a  grin  on  his  homely  face. 

"I  make  a  motion,"  he  said,  "that  the  syndicate  pass 
a  resolution  condemnin'  the  action  of  the  mate." 


256  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

It  was  a  forlorn  hope,  and  the  jest  went  over  the 
heads  of  the  deck  department.  Said  Mr.  Gibney  sadly : 

"There  ain't  no  more  Maggie  II  Syndicate." 

"Well,  let's  form  a  Robinson  Crusoe  Syndicate,"  sug- 
gested McGuffey.  "We've  got  the  island,  and  there's 
a  quorum  present  for  all  meetin's." 

Mr.  Gibney  smiled  feebly.  "We  can  appoint  Tabu- 
Tabu  the  man  Friday." 

"Sure,"  responded  McGuffey,  "and  the  king  can  be 
the  goat.  Robinson  Crusoe  had  a  billy  goat,  didn't  he, 
Gib?" 

But  Captain  Scraggs  refused  to  be  heartened  by  this 
airy  persiflage.  "I'm  all  het  up  after  my  fight  with  the 
king,"  he  quavered  presently.  "  I  wonder  if  there's  any 
water  on  this  island." 

"There  is,"  announced  Mr.  Gibney  pleasantly; 
"there  is,  Scraggsy.  There's  water  in  just  one  spot, 
but  it's  there  in  abundance." 

"Where's  that  spot?"  inquired  Scraggs  eagerly. 

Mr.  Gibney  removed  his  old  Panama  hat,  and  with 
his  index  finger  pointed  downward  to  where  the  hair 
was  beginning  to  disappear,  leaving  a  small  bald  spot 
on  the  crown  of  his  ingenious  head. 

" There,"  he  said,  "right  there,  Scraggsy,  old  top. 
The  only  water  on  this  island  is  on  the  brain  of  Adal- 
bert P.  Gibney." 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

NEILS  HALVORSEN  often  wondered  what  had 
become  of  the  Maggie  and  Captain  Scraggs. 
Mr.  Gibney  and  Bartholomew  McGuffey  he 
knew  had  turned  their  sun-tanned  faces  toward  deep 
water  some  years  before  Captain  Scraggs  and  the  Mag- 
gie disappeared  from  the  environs  of  San  Francisco 
Bay,  and  Neils  Halvorsen  was  wise  enough  to  waste  no 
time  wondering  what  had  become  of  them.  These  two 
worthies  might  be  anywhere,  and  every  conceivable 
thing  under  the  sun  might  have  happened  to  them; 
hence,  in  his  idle  moments,  Neils  Halvorsen  did  not 
disturb  his  gray  matter  speculating  on  their  where- 
abouts and  their  then  condition  of  servitude. 

But  the  continued  absence  of  Captain  Scraggs  from 
his  old  haunts  created  quite  a  little  gossip  along  the 
waterfront,  and  in  the  course  of  time  rumours  of  his 
demise  by  sundry  and  devious  routes  came  to  the  ears 
of  Neils  Halvorsen.  Now,  Neils  had  sailed  too  long 
with  Captain  Scraggs  not  to  realize  that  the  erstwhile 
green-pea  trader  would  be  the  last  man  to  take  a  chance 
in  any  hazardous  enterprise  unless  forced  thereto  by 
the  weight  of  circumstance;  also  there  was  affection 
enough  in  his  simple  Scandinavian  heart  to  cause  him 
to  feel  just  a  little  worried  when  two  weeks  passed 
and  Captain  Scraggs  failed  to  show  up.  He  had  dis- 
appeared in  some  mysterious  manner  from  San  Fran- 

257 


258  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

cisco  Bay  and  the  old  Maggie  had  never  been  heard 
from  again. 

Hence  Neils  Halvorsen  was  puzzled.  In  fact,  to 
such  an  extent  was  Neils  puzzled,  that  one  perfectly 
calm,  clear  night  while  beating  down  San  Pablo  Bay 
in  his  bay  scow,  the  Willie  and  Annie,  he  so  far  forgot 
himself  and  his  own  affairs  as  to  concentrate  all  his 
attention  on  the  problem  of  the  ultimate  finish  of  Cap- 
tain Scraggs.  So  engrossed  was  Neils  in  this  vain 
speculation  that  he  neglected  to  observe  toward  the 
rules  of  the  ocean  highways  that  nicety  of  attention 
which  is  highly  requisite,  even  in  the  skipper  of  a  bay 
scow,  if  the  fulsome  title  of  captain  is  to  be  retained  for 
any  definite  period.  As  a  result,  Neils  became  con- 
fused regarding  the  exact  number  of  blasts  from  the 
siren  of  a  river  steamer  desiring  to  pass  him  to  port. 
Consequently  the  Willie  and  Annie  received  such  a 
severe  butting  from  the  river  steamer  in  question  as 
to  cause  her  to  careen  and  fill.  Being,  unfortunately, 
loaded  with  gravel  on  this  particular  trip,  she  subsided 
incontinently  to  the  bottom  of  San  Pablo  Bay,  while 
Neils  and  his  crew  of  two  men  sought  refuge  on  a 
plank. 

Without  attempting  to  go  further  into  the  details  of 
the  misfortunes  of  Neils  Halvorsen,  be  it  known  that 
the  destruction  of  the  Willie  and  Annie  proved  to  be 
such  a  severe  shock  to  Neil's  reputation  as  a  safe  and 
sane  bay  scow  skipper  that  he  was  ultimately  forced  to 
seek  other  and  more  virgin  fields.  With  the  fragments 
of  his  meagre  fortune,  the  ambitious  Swede  purchased  a 
course  in  a  local  nautical  school  from  which  he  duly 
managed  to  emerge  with  sufficient  courage  to  appear 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  259 

before  the  United  States  Local  Inspectors  of  Hulls  and 
Boilers  and  take  his  examination  for  a  second  mate's 
certificate.  To  his  unutterable  surprise  the  license 
was  granted;  whereupon  he  shipped  as  quartermaster 
on  the  steamer  Alameda,  running  to  Honolulu,  and  what 
with  the  lesson  taught  him  in  the  loss  of  the  Willie  and 
Annie  and  the  exacting  duties  of  his  office  aboard  the 
liner,  he  forgot  that  he  had  ever  known  Captain 
Scraggs. 

Judge  of  Neils  Halvorsen's  surprise,  therefore,  upon 
the  occasion  of  his  first  trip  to  Honolulu,  when  he  saw 
something  which  brought  the  whole  matter  back  to 
mind.  They  were  standing  in  toward  Diamond  Head 
and  the  Alameda  lay  hove  to  taking  on  the  pilot.  It 
was  early  morning  and  the  purple  mists  hung  over  the 
entrance  to  the  harbour.  Neils  Halvorsen  stood  at  the 
gangway  enjoying  the  sunrise  over  the  Punch-bowl, 
and  glancing  longingly  toward  the  vivid  green  of  the 
hills  beyond  the  city,  when  he  was  aware  of  a  "put," 
"put,"  "put,"  to  starboard  of  the  Alameda.  Neils 
turned  at  the  sound  just  in  time  to  see  a  beautiful 
gasoline  schooner  of  about  a  hundred  and  thirty  tons 
heading  in  toward  the  bay.  She  was  so  close  that 
Neils  was  enabled  to  make  out  that  her  name  was 
Maggie  II. 

"Veil,  aye  be  dam,"  muttered  Neils,  and  scratched 
his  head,  for  the  name  revived  old  memories.  An 
hour  later,  when  the  Alameda  loafed  into  her  berth  at 
Brewer's  dock,  Neils  noticed  that  the  schooner  lay  at 
anchor  off  the  quarantine  station. 

That  night  Neils  Halvorsen  went  ashore  for  those 
forms  of  enjoyment  peculiar  to  his  calling,  and  in  the 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

Pantheon  saloon,  whither  his  pathway  led  him,  he 
filled  himself  with  beer  and  gossip.  It  was  here  that 
Neils  came  across  an  item  in  an  afternoon  paper  which 
challenged  his  instant  attention.  It  was  just  a  squib 
in  the  shipping  news,  but  Neils  Halvorsen  read  it  with 
amazement  and  joy : 

The  power  schooner  Maggie  II  arrived  this  morning,  ten  days 
from  the  Friendly  Islands.  The  little  schooner  came  into  port  with 
her  hold  bursting  with  the  most  valuable  cargo  that  has  entered 
Honolulu  in  many  years.  It  consists  for  the  most  part  of  black 
coral. 

The  Maggie  II  is  commanded  by  Captain  Phineas  Scraggs,  and 
after  taking  on  provisions  and  water  to-day  will  proceed  to  San 
Francisco,  to-morrow,  for  discharge  of  cargo. 

"By  yiminy,"  quoth  Neils  Halvorsen,  "aye  bat  you 
that  bane  de  ole  man  so  sure  as  you  bane  alive.  And 
aye  bat  new  hat  he  skall  be  glad  to  see  Neils  Halvorsen. 
I  guess  aye  hire  Kanaka  boy  an'  he  bane  pull  me  out 
to  see  de  ole  man." 

Which  is  exactly  what  Neils  Halvorsen  proceeded 
to  do.  Ten  minutes  later  he  was  at  the  foot  of  Fort 
Street,  bargaining  with  a  Kanaka  fisherman  to  paddle 
him  off  to  the  schooner  Maggie  II.  It  was  a  beautiful 
moonlight  night,  and  as  Neils  sat  in  the  stern  of  the 
canoe,  listening  to  the  sound  of  the  sad,  sweet  falsetto 
singing  of  half  a  dozen  waheenies  fishing  on  the  wharf, 
he  actually  waxed  sentimental.  His  honest  Scandina- 
vian heart  throbbed  with  anticipated  pleasure  as  he 
conjured  up  a  mental  picture  of  the  surprise  and  delight 
of  Captain  Scraggs  at  this  unexpected  meeting  with  his 
old  deckhand. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  261 

A  Jacob's  ladder  was  hanging  over  the  side  of  the 
schooner  as  the  canoe  shot  in  under  her  lee  quarter,  and 
half  a  minute  later  the  expectant  Neils  stepped  upon  her 
deck.  A  tall  dark  man,  wearing  an  ancient  palmleaf 
hat,  sat  smoking  on  the  hatch  coaming,  and  him  Neils 
Halvorsen  addressed. 

"  Aye  bane  want  to  see  Cap'n  Scraggs,"  he  said. 

The  tall  dark  man  stood  erect  and  cast  a  quick,  ques- 
tioning look  at  Neils  Halvorsen.  He  hesitated  before 
he  made  answer. 

"What  do  you  want?"  he  asked  deliberately,  and 
there  was  a  subtle  menace  in  his  tones.  As  for  Neils 
Halvorsen,  thinking  only  of  the  surprise  he  had  in  store 
for  his  old  employer,  he  replied  evasively: 

"Aye  bane  want  job." 

"Well,  I'm  Captain  Scraggs,  and  I  haven't  any  job 
for  you.  Get  off  my  boat  and  wait  until  you're  invited 
before  you  come  aboard  again." 

For  nearly  half  a  minute  Neils  Halvorsen  stared 
open-mouthed  at  the  spurious  Captain  Scraggs,  while 
slowly  there  sifted  through  his  brain  the  notion  that 
he  had  happened  across  the  track  of  a  deep  and  bloody 
mystery  of  the  seas.  There  was  "something  rotten  in 
Denmark."  Of  that  Neils  Halvorsen  was  certain. 
More  he  could  not  be  certain  of  until  he  had 
paved  the  way  for  a  complete  investigation,  and  as 
a  preliminary  step  toward  that  end  he  clinched 
his  fist  and  sprang  swiftly  toward  the  bogus  skip- 
per. 

"Aye  tank  you  bane  damn  liar,"  he  muttered,  and 
struck  home,  straight  and  true,  to  the  point  of  the  jaw. 
The  man  went  down,  and  in  an  instant  Neils  was  on 


262  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

top  of  him.  Off  came  the  sailor's  belt,  the  hands  of 
the  half -stunned  man  were  quickly  tied  behind  him, 
and  before  he  had  time  to  realize  what  had  happened 
Neils  had  cut  a  length  of  cord  from  a  trailing  halyard 
and  tied  his  feet  securely,  after  which  he  gagged  him 
with  his  bandana  handkerchief. 

A  quick  circuit  of  the  ship  convinced  Neils  Halvor- 
sen  that  the  remainder  of  the  dastard  crew  were  evi- 
dently ashore,  so  he  descended  to  the  cabin  in  search 
of  further  evidence  of  crime.  He  was  quite  prepared  to 
find  Captain  Scraggs's  master's  certificate  in  its  familiar 
oaken  frame,  hanging  on  the  cabin  wall,  but  he  was 
dumfounded  to  observe,  hanging  on  the  wall  in  a  simi- 
lar and  equally  familiar  frame,  the  certificate  of  Adel- 
bert  P.  Gibney  as  first  mate  of  steam  or  sail,  any  ocean 
and  any  tonnage.  But  still  a  third  framed  certificate 
hung  on  the  wall,  and  Neils  again  scratched  his  head 
when  he  read  the  wording  that  set  forth  the  legal  quali- 
fications of  Bartholomew  McGuffey  to  hold  down  a  job 
as  chief  engineer  of  coastwise  vessels  up  to  1,200  tons 
net  register. 

It  was  patent,  even  to  the  dull-witted  Swede,  that 
there  had  been  foul  play  somewhere,  and  the  schooner's 
log,  lying  open  on  the  table,  seemed  to  offer  the  first 
means  at  hand  for  a  solution  of  the  mystery.  Eagerly 
Neils  turned  to  the  last  entry.  It  was  not  in  Captain 
Scraggs's  handwriting,  and  contained  nothing  more  in- 
teresting than  the  stereotyped  reports  of  daily  observa- 
tions, currents,  weather  conditions,  etc.,  including  a 
notation  of  arrival  that  day  at  Honolulu.  Slowly 
Halvorsen  turned  the  leaves  backward,  until  at  last 
he  was  rewarded  by  a  glimpse  of  a  different  handwriting. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  263 

It  was  the  last  entry  under  that  particular  handwriting, 
and  read  as  follows: 

June  21,  19 — .  Took  an  observation  at  noon,  and  find  that  we 
are  in  20—48  S.,  178-4  W.  At  this  rate  should  lift  Tuvana-tholo 
early  this  afternoon.  All  hands  well  and  looking  forward  to  the  fun 
at  Tuvana.  Bent  a  new  flying  jib  this  morning  and  had  the  king 
and  Tabu-Tabu  holystone  the  deck. 

A.  P.  GlBNEY. 

Neils  Halvorsen  sat  down  to  think,  and  after  several 
minutes  of  this  unusual  exercise  it  appeared  to  the 
Swede  that  he  had  stumbled  upon  a  clue  to  the  situa- 
tion. The  last  entry  in  the  log  kept  by  Mr.  Gibney 
was  under  date  of  June  21st — just  eleven  days  ago,  and 
on  that  date  Mr.  Gibney  had  been  looking  forward  to 
some  fun  at  Tuvana-tholo.  Now  where  was  that 
island  and  what  kind  of  a  place  was  it? 

Neils  searched  through  the  cabin  until  he  came  across 
the  book  that  is  the  bible  of  every  South  Sea  trading 
vessel — the  British  Admiralty  Reports.  Down  the 
index  went  the  old  deckhand's  calloused  finger  and 
paused  at  "Friendly  islands — page  177";  whereupon 
Neils  opened  the  book  at  page  177  and  after  a  five- 
minute  search  discovered  that  Tuvana-tholo  was  a 
barren,  uninhabited  island  in  latitude  21-2  south,  longi- 
tude 178-49  west. 

Ten  days  from  the  Friendly  Islands,  the  paper  said. 
That  meant  under  power  and  sail  with  the  trades  abaft 
the  beam.  It  would  take  nearer  fifteen  days  for  the 
run  from  Honolulu  to  that  desert  island,  and  Neils 
Halvorsen  wondered  whether  the  marooned  men  would 
still  be  alive  by  the  time  aid  could  reach  them.  For 


264  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

by  some  sixth  sailor  sense  Neils  Halvorsen  became 
convinced  that  his  old  friends  of  the  vegetable  trade 
were  marooned.  They  had  gone  ashore  for  some  kind 
of  a  frolic,  and  the  crew  had  stolen  the  schooner  and 
left  them  to  their  fate,  believing  that  the  castaways 
would  never  be  heard  from  and  that  dead  men  tell  no 
tales. 

"Yumpin'  yiminy,"  groaned  Neils.  "I  must  get  a 
wiggle  on  if  aye  bane  steal  this  schooner." 

He  rushed  on  deck,  carried  his  prisoner  down  into 
the  cabin,  and  locked  the  door  on  him.  A  minute  later 
he  was  clinging  to  the  Jacob's  ladder,  the  canoe  shot 
in  to  the  side  of  the  vessel  at  his  gruff  command  and 
passed  on  shoreward  without  missing  a  stroke  of  the 
paddle.  An  hour  later,  accompanied  by  three  Kanaka 
sailors  picked  up  at  random  along  the  waterfront, 
Neils  Halvorsen  was  pulled  out  to  the  Maggie  II.  Her 
crew  had  not  returned  and  the  bogus  captain  was  still 
triced  hard  and  fast  in  the  cabin. 

The  Swede  did  not  bother  to  investigate  in  detail 
the  food  and  water  supply.  A  hasty  round  of  the 
schooner  convinced  him  that  she  had  at  least  a  month's 
supply  of  food  and  water.  Only  one  thought  surged 
through  his  mind,  and  that  was  the  awful  necessity  for 
haste.  The  anchor  came  in  with  a  rush,  the  Kanaka 
boys  chanting  a  song  that  sounded  to  Neils  like  a  fu- 
neral dirge,  and  Neils  went  below  and  turned  the  gaso- 
line engines  wide  open.  The  Maggie  II  swung  around 
and  with  a  long  streak  of  opalescent  foam  trailing 
behind  her  swung  down  the  bay  and  faded  at  last  in 
the  ghostly  moonlight  beyond  Diamond  Head;  after 
which  Neils  Halvorsen,  with  murder  in  his  eye  and  a 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  265 

tarred  rope's  end  in  his  horny  fist,  went  down  into  the 
cabin  and  talked  to  the  man  who  posed  as  Captain 
Scraggs.  In  the  end  he  got  a  confession.  Fifteen 
minutes  later  he  emerged,  smiling  grimly,  gave  the 
Kanaka  boy  at  the  wheel  the  course,  and  turned  in  to 
sleep  the  sleep  of  the  conscience-free  and  the  weary. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

DARKNESS  was  creeping  over  the  beach  at 
Tuvana-tholo  before  Mr.  Gibney  could  smother 
the  despair  in  his  heart  sufficient  to  spur  his 
jaded  imagination  into  working  order.  For  nearly  an 
hour  the  three  castaways  had  sat  on  the  beach  in  dumb 
horror,  gazing  seaward.  They  were  not  alone  in 
this,  for  a  little  further  up  the  beach  the  two  Fiji 
Islanders  sat  huddled  on  their  haunches,  gazing  stu- 
pidly first  at  the  horizon  and  then  at  their  white  cap- 
tors. It  was  the  sight  of  these  two  worthies  that 
spurred  Mr.  Gibney 's  torpid  brain  to  action. 

"Didn't  you  say,  Mac,  that  when  we  left  these  two 
cannibals  alone  on  this  island  that  it  would  develop 
into  a  case  of  dog  eat  dog  or  somethin'  of  that  na- 
ture?" 

Captain  Scraggs  sprang  to  his  feet,  his  face  white 
with  a  new  terror.  However,  he  had  endured  so 
much  since  embarking  with  Mr.  Gibney  on  a  life  of 
wild  adventure  that  his  nerves  had  become  rather  in- 
ured to  impending  death,  and  presently  his  fear  gave 
way  to  an  overmastering  rage.  He  hurled  his  hat  on 
the  sands  and  jumped  on  it  until  it  was  a  mere  shapeless 
rag. 

"By  the  tail  of  the  Great  Sacred  Bull,"  he  gasped,  "if 
they  don't  start  in  on  us  first  I'm  a  Dutchman.  Of  all 
the  idiots,  thieves,  crimps,  thugs,  and  pirates,  Bart 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  £67 

McGuffey,  you're  the  worst.  Gib,  you  hulkin'  swine, 
whatever  did  you  listen  to  him  for?  It  was  a  crazy  idea, 
this  talk  of  fight.  Why  didn't  we  just  drop  the  crit- 
ters overboard  and  be  done  with  it?  We  got  to  kill 
'em  now  with  sticks  and  stones  in  order  to  protect 
ourselves." 

"Forgive  me,  Scraggsy,  old  scout,"  said  Mr.  Gibney 
humbly.  "The  fat's  in  the  fire  now,  and  there  ain't 
no  use  howlin'  over  spilt  milk." 

"Shut  up,  you  murderer,"  shrilled  Captain  Scraggs 
and  danced  once  more  on  his  battered  hat. 

"Let's  call  a  meetin'  of  the  Robinson  Crusoe  Syndi- 
cate," said  Mr.  Gibney. 

"  Second  the  motion,"  rumbled  McGuffey. 

"  Carried,"  said  the  commodore.  "  The  first  business 
before  the  meetin'  is  the  organization  of  a  expedition 
to  chase  these  two  cannibals  to  the  other  end  of  the 
island.  I  ain't  got  the  heart  to  kill  'em,  so  let's  chase 
'em  away  before  they  get  fresh  with  us." 

"Good  idea,"  responded  McGuffey,  whereupon  he 
picked  up  a  rock  and  threw  it  at  the  king.  Mr.  Gibney 
followed  with  two  rocks,  Captain  Scraggs  screamed  de- 
fiance at  the  enemy,  and  the  enemy  fled  in  wild  disor- 
der, pursued  by  the  syndicate.  After  a  chase  of  half  a 
mile  Mr.  Gibney  led  his  cohorts  back  to  the  beach. 

"Let's  build  a  fire — not  that  we  need  it,  but  just 
for  company — and  sleep  till  mornin'.  By  that  time  my 
imagination'll  be  in  workin'  order  and  I'll  scheme  a 
breakfast  out  of  this  God-forsaken  hole." 

At  the  first  hint  of  dawn  Mr.  Gibney,  true  to  his 
promise,  was  up  and  scouting  for  breakfast  He  found 
some  gooneys  asleep  on  a  rocky  crag  and  killed  half  a 


268  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

dozen  of  them  with  a  club.  On  his  way  back  to  camp 
he  discovered  a  few  handfuls  of  sea  salt  in  a  crevice 
between  some  rocks,  and  the  syndicate  breakfasted 
an  hour  later  on  roast  gooney.  It  was  oily  and  fishy 
but  an  excellent  substitute  for  nothing  at  all,  and  the 
syndicate  was  grateful.  The  breakfast  would  have  been 
cheerful,  in  fact,  if  Captain  Scraggs  had  not  made  re- 
peated reference  to  his  excessive  thirst.  McGuffey 
lost  patience  before  the  meal  was  over,  and  cuffed 
Captain  Scraggs,  who  thereupon  subsided  with  tears 
in  his  eyes.  This  hurt  McGuffey.  It  was  like  salt 
in  a  fresh  wound,  so  he  patted  the  skipper  on  the  back 
and  humbly  asked  his  pardon.  Captain  Scraggs  for- 
gave him  and  murmured  something  about  death  mak- 
ing them  all  equal. 

"The  next  business  before  the  syndicate,"  announced 
Mr.  Gibney,  anxious  to  preserve  peace,  "is  a  search  of 
this  island  for  water." 

They  searched  all  forenoon.  At  intervals  they  caught 
glimpses  of  the  two  cannibals  skulking  behind  sand- 
dunes,  but  they  found  no  water.  Toward  the  centre 
of  the  island,  however,  the  soil  was  less  barren,  and 
here  a  grove  of  cocoa-palms  lifted  their  tufted  crests 
invitingly. 

"We  will  camp  in  this  grove,"  said  the  commodore, 
"and  keep  guard  over  these  green  cocoanuts.  There 
must  be  nearly  a  hundred  of  them  and  I  notice  a  little 
taro  root  here  and  there.  As  those  cocoanuts  are  full 
of  milk,  that  insures  us  life  for  a  week  or  two  if  we 
go  on  a  short  ration.  By  bathin'  several  times  a 
day  we  can  keep  down  our  thirst  some  and  perhaps  it'll 


rain." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  269 

"What  if  it  does?"  snapped  Captain  Scraggs  bitterly. 
"We  ain't  got  nothin'  but  our  hats  to  catch  it  in." 

"Well,  then,  Scraggsy,  old  stick-in-the-mud,"  replied 
the  commodore  quizzically,  "it's  a  cinch  you'll  go 
thirsty.  Your  hat  looks  like  a  cullender." 

Captain  Scraggs  choked  with  rage,  and  Mr.  Gibney, 
springing  at  the  nearest  palm,  shinned  to  the  top  of  it 
in  the  most  approved  sailor  fashion.  A  moment  later, 
instead  of  cocoanuts,  rich,  unctuous  curses  began  to 
descend  on  McGuffey  and  Scraggs. 

"Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  inquired  Scraggs,  "whatever  is 
the  matter  of  you?" 

"That  hound  Tabu-Tabu's  been  strippin'  our  cocoa- 
nut  grove,"  roared  the  commodore.  "He  must  have 
spent  half  the  night  up  in  these  trees." 

"Thank  the  Lord  they  didn't  take  'em  all,"  said 
McGuffey  piously.  "Chuck  me  down  a  nut,  Gib," 
said  Captain  Scraggs.  "  I'm  famished." 

In  conformity  with  the  commodore's  plans,  the 
castaways  made  camp  in  the  grove.  For  a  week  they 
subsisted  on  gooneys,  taro  root,  cocoanuts  and  cocoanut 
milk,  and  a  sea-turtle  which  Scraggs  found  wandering 
on  the  beach.  This  suggested  turtle  eggs  to  Mr.  Gib- 
ney, and  a  change  of  diet  resulted.  Nevertheless,  the 
unaccustomed  food,  poorly  cooked  as  it  was,  and  the 
lack  of  water,  told  cruelly  on  them,  and  their  strength 
failed  rapidly.  Realizing  that  in  a  few  days  he  would 
not  have  the  strength  to  climb  cocoanut  trees,  Mr. 
Gibney  spent  nearly  half  a  day  aloft  and  threw  down 
every  cocoanut  he  could  find,  which  was  not  a  great 
many.  They  had  their  sheath  knives  and  consequently 
had  little  fear  from  an  attack  by  Tabu-Tabu  and  the 


270  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

king.  These  latter  kept  well  to  the  other  side  of  the 
island  and  subsisted  in  much  the  same  manner  as  their 
white  neighbours. 

At  the  end  of  a  week,  all  hands  were  troubled 
with  indigestion  and  McGuffey  developed  a  low  fever. 
They  had  lost  much  flesh  and  were  a  white,  haggard- 
looking  trio.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  tenth  day  on  the 
island  the  sky  clouded  up  and  Mr.  Gibney  predicted  a 
williwaw.  Captain  Scraggs  inquired  feebly  if  it  was 
good  to  eat. 

That  night  it  rained,  and  to  the  great  joy  of  the  ma- 
rooned mariners  Mr.  Gibney  discovered,  in  the  centre 
of  a  big  sandstone  rock,  a  natural  reservoir  that  held 
about  ten  gallons  of  water.  They  drank  to  repletion 
and  felt  their  strength  return  a  thousand-fold.  Tabu- 
Tabu  and  the  king  came  into  camp  about  this  time,  and 
pleaded  for  a  ration  of  water.  Mr.  Gibney,  swearing 
horribly  at  them,  granted  their  request,  and  the  king, 
in  his  gratitude,  threw  himself  at  the  commodore's  feet 
and  kissed  them.  But  Mr.  Gibney  was  not  to  be  de- 
ceived, and  after  furnishing  them  with  a  supply  of  water 
in  cocoanut  calabashes,  he  ordered  them  to  their  own 
side  of  the  island. 

On  the  eighteenth  day  the  last  drop  of  water  was 
gone,  and  on  the  twenty-second  day  the  last  of  the 
cocoanuts  disappeared.  The  prospects  of  more  rain 
were  not  bright.  The  gooneys  were  becoming  shy  and 
distrustful  and  the  syndicate  was  experiencing  more 
and  more  difficulty,  not  only  in  killing  them,  but  in  eat- 
ing them.  McGuffey,  who  had  borne  up  uncomplain- 
ingly, was  shaking  with  fever  and  hardly  able  to  stagger 
down  the  beach  to  look  for  turtle  eggs.  The  syndicate 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  271 

was  sick,  weak,  and  emaciated  almost  beyond  recogni- 
tion, and  on  the  twenty-fifth  day  Captain  Scraggs 
fainted  twice.  On  the  twenty-sixth  day  McGuffey 
crawled  into  the  shadow  of  a  stunted  mimosa  bush  and 
started  to  pray! 

To  Mr.  Gibney  this  was  an  infallible  sign  that  Mc- 
Guffey was  now  delirious.  In  the  shadow  of  a  neigh- 
bouring bush  Captain  Scraggs  babbled  of  steam  beer 
in  the  Bowhead  saloon,  and  the  commodore,  stifling 
his  own  agony,  watched  his  comrades  until  their  lips 
and  tongues,  parched  with  thirst,  refused  longer  to  pro- 
duce even  a  moan,  and  silence  settled  over  the  dismal 
camp. 

It  was  the  finish.  The  commodore  knew  it,  and  sat 
with  bowed  head  in  his  gaunt  arms,  wondering,  won- 
dering. Slowly  his  body  began  to  sway;  he  muttered 
something,  slid  forward  on  his  face,  and  lay  still.  And 
as  he  lay  there  on  the  threshold  of  the  unknown  he 
dreamed  that  the  Maggie  II  came  into  view  around  the 
headland,  a  bone  in  her  teeth  and  every  stitch  of  canvas 
flying.  He  saw  her  luff  up  into  the  wind  and  hang 
there  shivering;  a  moment  later  her  sails  came  down 
by  the  run,  and  he  saw  a  little  splash  under  her  port 
bow  as  her  hook  took  bottom.  There  was  a  commo- 
tion on  decks,  and  then  to  Mr.  Gibney 's  dying  ears 
came  faintly  the  shouts  and  songs  of  the  black  boys  as 
a  whaleboat  shot  into  the  breakers  and  pulled  swiftly 
toward  the  beach.  Mr.  Gibney  dreamed  that  a  white 
man  sat  in  the  stern  sheets  of  this  whaleboat,  and  as  the 
boat  touched  the  beach  it  seemed  to  Mr.  Gibney  that 
this  man  sprang  ashore  and  ran  swiftly  toward  him. 
And — Mr.  Gibney  twisted  his  suffering  lips  into  a  wry 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

smile  as  he  realized  the  oddities  of  this  mirage — it 
seemed  to  him  that  this  visionary  white  man  bore  a 
striking  resemblance  to  Neils  Halvorsen.  Neils  Hal- 
vorsen,  of  all  men !  Old  Neils, '  *  the  squarehead  "  deck- 
hand of  the  green-pea  trade!  Dull,  bowlegged  Neils, 
with  his  lost  dog  smile  and  his 

Mr.  Gibney  rubbed  his  eyes  feebly  and  half  stag- 
gered to  his  feet.  What  was  that?  A  shout?  Without 
doubt  he  had  heard  a  sound  that  was  not  the  moaning 
of  their  remorseless  prison-keeper,  the  sea.  And 

"Hands  off,"  shrieked  Mr.  Gibney  and  struck  feebly 
at  the  imaginary  figure  rushing  toward  him.  No  use. 
He  felt  himself  swept  into  strong  arms  and  carried  an 
immeasurable  distance  down  the  beach.  Then  some- 
body threw  water  in  his  face  and  pressed  a  drink  of 
brandy  and  sweet  water  to  his  parched  lips.  His 
swimming  senses  rallied  a  moment,  and  he  discovered 
that  he  was  lying  in  the  bottom  of  a  whaleboat.  Mc- 
Guffey  lay  beside  him,  and  on  a  thwart  in  front  of  him 
sat  good  old  Neils  Halvorsen  with  Captain  Scraggs's 
head  on  his  knees.  As  Mr.  Gibney  looked  at  this 
strange  tableau  Captain  Scraggs  opened  his  eyes, 
glanced  up  at  Neils  Halvorsen,  and  spoke: 

"Why  if  it  ain't  old  squarehead  Neils,"  he  muttered 
wonderingly .  "  If  it  ain't  Neils,  I'll  go  to  hades  or  some 
other  seaport."  He  closed  his  eyes  again  and  subsided 
into  a  sort  of  lethargy,  for  he  was  content.  He  knew 
he  was  saved. 

Mr.  Gibney  rolled  over,  and,  struggling  to  his  knees, 
leaned  over  McGuffey  and  peered  into  his  drawn  face. 

"Mac,  old  shipmate!  Mac,  speak  to  me.  Are  you 
alive?" 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  273 

B.  McGuffey,  Esquire,  opened  a  pair  of  glazed  eyes 
and  stared  at  the  commodore. 

"Did  we  lick  'em?"  he  whispered.  "The  last  I  re- 
member the  king  was  puttin'  it  all  over  Scraggsy.  And 
that  Tabu  boy — was — no  slouch."  McGuffey  paused, 
and  glanced  warily  around  the  boat,  while  a  dawning 
horror  appeared  in  his  sunken  eyes.  "  Go  back,  Neils — 
go  back — for  God's  sake.  There's  two  niggers — still — 
on  the — island.  Bring — 'em  some — water.  They're 
cannibals — Neils,  but  never — mind.  Get  them — 
aboard — the  poor  devils — if  they're  living.  I — wouldn't 
leave  a — crocodile  on  that — hell  hole,  if  I  could — help 
it." 

An  hour  later  the  Robinson  Crusoe  Syndicate,  in- 
cluding the  man  Friday  and  the  Goat,  were  safe  aboard 
the  Maggie  II,  and  Neils  Halvorsen,  with  the  tears 
streaming  down  his  bronzed  cheeks,  was  sparingly  dol- 
ing out  to  them  a  mixture  of  brandy  and  water.  And 
when  the  syndicate  was  strong  enough  to  be  allowed 
all  the  water  it  wanted,  Neils  Halvorsen  propped  them 
up  on  deck  and  told  the  story.  When  he  had  finished, 
Captain  Scraggs  turned  to  Mr.  Gibney. 

"Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  he  said,  "make  a  motion." 

"I  move,"  said  the  commodore,  "that  we  set  Tabu- 
Tabu  and  the  king  down  on  the  first  inhabited  island  we 
can  find.  They've  suffered  enough.  And  I  further 
move  that  we  readjust  the  ownership  of  the  Maggie  II 
Syndicate  and  cut  the  best  Swede  on  earth  in  on  a  quar- 
ter of  the  profits." 

"Second  the  motion,"  said  McGuffey. 

"Carried,"  said  Captain  Scraggs. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE  lookout  on  the  power  schooner  Maggie  II  had 
sighted  Diamond  Head  before  Commodore  Adel- 
bert  P.  Gibney,  Captain  Phineas  P.  Scraggs,  and 
Engineer  Bartholomew  McGuffey  were  enabled  to  de- 
clare, in  all  sincerity  (or  at  least  with  as  much  sincerity 
as  one  might  reasonably  expect  from  this  band  of  roving 
rascals),  that  they  had  entirely  recovered  from  their 
harrowing  experiences  on  the  desert  island  of  Tuvana- 
tholo,  in  the  Friendly  group. 

At  the  shout  of  "Land,  ho!"  Mr.  McGuffey  yawned, 
stretched  himself,  and  sat  up  in  the  wicker  lounging 
chair  where  he  had  sprawled  for  days  with  Mr.  Gibney 
and  Captain  Scraggs,  under  the  awning  on  top  of  the 
house.  He  flexed  his  biceps  reflectively,  while  his  com- 
panions, stretched  at  full  length  in  their  respective 
chairs,  watched  him  lazily. 

"As  a  member  o'  the  Maggie  Syndicate  an'  ownin* 
an'  votin'  a  quarter  interest,"  boomed  the  engineer, 
"I  hereby  call  a  meetin'  o'  the  said  syndicate  for  the 
purpose  o'  transactin'  any  an'  all  business  that  may 
properly  come  before  the  meetin'." 

"Pass  the  word  for  Neils  Halvorsen,"  suggested  Mr. 
Gibney.  "Bless  his  squarehead  soul,"  he  added. 

"We  got  a  quorum  without  him,  an'  besides  this  busi- 
ness is  just  between  us  three." 

"Meetin'll  come  to  order."     The  commodore  tap- 

274 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  275 

ped  the  hot  deck  with  his  bare  heel  twice.  "  Haul  away, 
Mac." 

"I  move  you,  gentlemen,  that  it  be  the  sense  o'  this 
meetin'  that  B.  McGuffey,  Esquire,  be  an'  he  is  hereby 
appointed  a  committee  o'  one  to  lam  the  everlastin' 
daylights  out  o'  that  sinful  former  chief  mate  o'  ourn 
for  abandonin'  the  syndicate  to  a  horrible  death  on  that 
there  desert  island.  Do  I  hear  a  second  to  that  mo- 
tion?" 

"Second  the  motion,"  chirped  Captain  Scraggs. 

"The  motion's  denied,"  announced  Mr.  Gibney 
firmly. 

"Now,  looky  here,  Gib,  that  ain't  fair.  Didn't 
you  fight  Tabu-Tabu  an'  didn't  Scraggsy  fight  the  king 
o'  Kandavu?  I  ain't  had  no  fightin'  this  entire  v'yage 
an'  I  did  caPlate  to  lick  that  doggone  mate." 

"Mac,  it  can't  be  done  nohow." 

"Oh,  it  can't,  eh?  Well,  I'll  just  bet  you  two  boys 
my  interest  in  the  syndicate " 

"It  ain't  that,  Mac,  it  ain't  that.  Nobody's  doubtin* 
your  natural  ability  to  mop  him  up.  But  it  ain't  pol- 
icy. You  wasn't  sore  agin  them  cannibal  savages,  was 
you?  You  made  Neils  go  back  an'  save  'em,  an'  it  took 
us  two  days  to  beat  up  to  the  first  inhabited  island  an' 
drop  'em  off " 

"But  a  cannibal's  like  a  dumb  beast,  Gib.  He  ain't 
responsible.  This  mate  knows  better.  He's  as  fly  as 
they  make  'em." 

"Ah!"  Mr.  Gibney  levelled  a  horny  forefinger  at  the 
engineer.  "  That's  where  you  hit  the  nail  on  the  head. 
He's  too  fly,  and  there's  only  two  ways  to  keep  him  from 
flyin'  away  with  us.  The  first  is  to  feed  him  to  the 


276  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

sharks  and  the  second  is  to  treat  him  like  a  long-lost 
brother.  I  know  he  ought  to  be  hove  overboard,  but 
I  ain't  got  the  heart  to  kill  him  in  cold  blood.  Conse- 
quently, we  got  to  let  the  villain  live,  an'  if  you  go  to 
beatin'  him  up,  Mac,  you'll  make  him  sore  an'  he'll 
peach  on  us  when  we  get  to  Honolulu.  If  us  three 
could  get  back  to  San  Francisco  with  clean  hands,  I'd 
say  lick  the  beggar  an*  lick  him  for  fair.  But  we  got 
to  remember  that  this  mate  was  one  o'  the  original 
filibuster  crew  o'  the  old  Maggie  I.  The  day  we  tackled 
the  Mexican  navy  an'  took  this  power  schooner  away 
from  'em,  we  put  ourselves  forty  fathom  plumb  out- 
side the  law,  an'  this  mate  was  present  an'  knows  it. 
We've  changed  the  vessel's  name  an'  rig,  an'  doctored 
up  the  old  Maggie's  papers  to  suit  the  Maggie  II,  an' 
we've  give  her  a  new  dress.  But  at  that,  it's  hard  to 
disguise  a  ship  in  a  live  port,  an'  the  secret  service 
agents  o'  the  Mexican  government  may  be  a-layin'  for 
us  in  San  Francisco;  and  with  this  here  mate  agin  us 
an'  ready  to  turn  state's  evidence,  we're  pirates  under 
the  law,  an'  it  don't  take  much  imagination  to  see  three 
pirates  swingin'  from  the  same  yard-arm.  No,  sir, 
Mac.  I  ain't  got  no  wish,  now  that  we're  fixed  nice 
an*  comfortable  with  the  world's  goods,  to  be  hung 
for  a  pirate  in  the  mere  shank  o'  my  youth.  Why,  I 
ain't  fifty  year  old  yet." 

"By  the  tail  o'  the  Great  Sacred  Bull,"  chattered 
Scraggs.  "Gib's  right." 

McGuffey  was  plainly  disappointed.  "I  hadn't 
thought  o'  that  at  all,  Gib.  I  been  cherishin'  the  thought 
o'  lammin'  the  whey  out'n  that  mate,  but  if  you  say 
so  I'll  give  up  the  idee.  But  if  bringin'  the  Maggie  11 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  277 

into  home  waters  is  invitin'  death,  what  in  blue  blazes're 
we  goin'  to  do  with  her?  " 

Mr.  Gibney  smiled — an  arch,  cunning  smile.  "We'll 
give  her  to  that  murderin'  mate,  free  gratis." 

Captain  Scraggs  bounded  out  of  his  chair,  struck  the 
hot  deck  with  his  bare  feet,  cursed,  and  hopped  back 
into  the  chair  again.  McGuffey  stared  incredulously. 

"Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  quavered  Scraggs,  "say  that 
agin." 

"Yes,"  continued  the  commodore  placidly,  "we'll 
just  get  shet  o'  her  peaceable  like  by  givih'  her  to  this 
mate.  Don't  forget,  Scraggsy,  old  tarpot,  that  this 
mate's  been  passin5  himself  off  for  you  in  Honolulu, 
an'  if  there's  ever  an  investigation,  the  trail  leads  to  the 
Maggie  II.  This  mate's  admitted  being  Captain 
Scraggs,  an'  if  he's  found  with  the  schooner  in  his 
possession  it'll  take  a  heap  o'  evidence  for  him  to  prove 
that  he  ain't  Captain  Scraggs.  We'll  just  keep  this 
here  mate  in  the  brig  while  we're  disposing  of  our  black 
coral,  pearl,  shell,  and  copra  in  Honolulu,  an'  then,  when 
we've  cleaned  up,  an'  got  our  passages  booked  for  San 
Francisco " 

"But  who  says  we're  goin'  back  to  San  Francisco?" 
cut  in  McGuffey. 

"Why,  where  else  would  men  with  money  in  their 
pockets  head  for,  you  oil-soaked  piece  of  ignorance? 
Ain't  you  had  enough  adventure  to  do  you  a  spell?" 
demanded  Captain  Scraggs.  "Me  an'  Gib's  for  goin' 
back  to  San  Francisco,  so  shut  up.  If  you  got  any  ob- 
jection, you're  outvoted  two  to  one  in  the  syndicate." 

McGuffey  subsided,  growling,  and  Mr.  Gibney  con- 
tinued: 


278  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"When  we're  ready  to  leave  Honolulu,  we'll  bring 
this  mate  on  deck,  make  him  a  kind  Christian  talk  an* 
give  him  the  Maggie  II  with  the  compliments  o'  the 
syndicate.  He'll  think  our  sufferin's  on  that  island 
has  touched  us  with  religion  an'  he'll  be  so  tickled  he'll 
keep  his  mouth  shut.  Then,  with  all  three  of  us  safe 
an'  out  o'  the  mess,  an'  the  evidence  off  our  hands,  we'll 
clear  out  for  Gawd's  country  an5  look  around  for  some 
sort  of  a  profitable  investment." 

"What  you  figurin'  on,  Gib?"  demanded  Captain 
Scraggs.  "I  hope  it's  a  steamboat.  This  wild  ad- 
venture is  all  right  when  you  get  away  with  it,  but  I 
like  steamboatin'  on  the  bay  an'  up  the  river." 

"Oh,  nothin'  particular,  Scraggsy.  We'll  just  hold 
the  syndicate  together  an'  when  somethin'  good  bobs 
up  we'll  smother  it.  In  the  meantime,  we'll  continue 
our  life  o'  wild  adventure." 

"But  there  ain't  no  wild  adventures  around  San 
Francisco  Bay,"  protested  McGuffey. 

"That  shows  your  ignorance,  Mac.  Adventura 
lurks  in  every  nook  an'  slough  an'  doghole  on  the  bay. 
You  walk  along  the  Ernbarcadero,  only  reasonably 
drunk,  an'  adventure's  liable  to  hit  you  a  swipe  in  the 
face  like  a  loose  rope-end  bangin'  around  in  a  gale. 
Adventure  an'  profits  goes  hand  in  hand " 

"Then  why  give  the  Maggie  II  to  this  hound  of  a 
mate?"  demanded  the  single-minded  McGuffey. 

The  commodore  sighed.  "She's  a  love  of  a  boat  an* 
it  breaks  my  heart  to  give  up  the  only  command  I've 
ever  had,  but  the  fact  is,  Mac,  her  possession  by  us  is 
dangerous,  an'  we  don't  need  her,  an'  we  can't  sell  her 
because  her  record's  got  blurs  on  it.  We  can't  convey 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  279 

a  clean  an'  satisfactory  title.  Anyhow,  she  didn't  cost 
us  a  cent  an'  there  ain't  no  real  financial  loss  if  we  give 
her  to  this  mate.  He'd  be  glad  to  get  her  if  she  had 
yellow  jack  aboard,  an'  if  he's  caught  with  her  he'll 
have  to  do  the  explainin'.  When  you're  caught  with 
the  goods  in  your  possession,  Mac,  it  makes  the  ex- 
plainin' all  the  harder.  Besides,  we're  three  to  one, 
an'  if  it  comes  to  a  show-down  later  we  can  outswear 
the  mate." 

Captain  Scraggs  picked  his  snaggle  teeth  with 
the  little  blade  of  his  jack-knife  and  cogitated  a  min- 
ute. 

"Well,"  he  announced  presently,  "far  be  it  from  me 
to  fly  in  the  face  o'  a  felon's  death.  I've  made  a  heap 
o'  money,  follerin'  Gib's  advice,  an'  bust  my  bob-stay 
if  I  don't  stay  put  on  this.  Gib,  it's  your  lead." 

"Well,  I'll  follow  suit.  Gib's  got  all  the  trumps," 
acquiesced  the  engineer.  "We  got  plenty  o'  dough 
an'  no  board  bills  comin'  due,  so  we'll  loaf  alongshore 
until  Gib  digs  up  somethin'  good. 

Mr.  Gibney  smiled  his  approval  of  these  sentiments. 
"  Thank  you,  boys.  I  ain't  quite  sure  yet  whether  we'll 
quit  the  sea  an'  go  into  the  chicken  business,  build  a 
fast  sea-goin'  launch  an'  smuggle  Chinamen  in  from 
Mexico,  buy  a  stern-wheel  steamer  an'  do  bay  an' 
river  freightin',  or  just  live  at  a  swell  hotel  an'  scheme 
out  a  fortune  by  our  wits.  But  whatever  I  do,  as  the 
leadin'  sperrit  o'  this  syndicate,  the  motto  o'  the  syn- 
dicate will  ever  be  my  inspiration: 

"All  for  one  an*  one  for  all 
United  we  stand,  divided  we  fall." 


280  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

' ' How  about  Neils ? ' '  queried  Captain  Scraggs.  "Do 
we  continue  to  let  that  ex-deckhand  in  on  our  for- 
tunes?" 

"If  Neils  Halvorsen  had  asked  you  that  question 
when  he  come  to  rescue  you  the  day  you  lay  a-dyin'  o' 
thirst  on  that  desert  island,  wouldn't  you  have  said 
yes?" 

"Sure  pop." 

"Then  don't  ask  no  questions  that's  unworthy  of 
you,"  said  Mr.  Gibney  severely.  "I  don't  want  to  see 
none  o'  them  green-pea  trade  ethics  croppin'  up  in  you, 
Scraggsy.  If  it  wasn't  for  that  Swede  the  sea-gulls'd 
be  pickin'  our  bones  now.  Neils  Halvorsen  is  in- 
cluded in  this  syndicate  for  good." 

"Amen."     This  from  the  honest  McGuffey. 

"Meetin's  adjourned,"  said  Captain  Scraggs  icily. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

UNDER  the  direction  of  the  crafty  commodore, 
the  valuable  cargo  of  the  Maggie  II  was  dis- 
posed of  in  Honolulu.  During  the  period  while 
the  schooner  lay  at  the  dock  discharging  Captain 
Scraggs  and  McGuffey  prudently  remained  in  the  cabin 
with  the  perfidious  mate,  in  order  that,  should  an  in- 
vestigation be  undertaken  later  by  the  Treasury  De- 
partment, no  man  might  swear  that  the  real  Phineas 
Scraggs,  filibuster,  had  been  in  Honolulu  on  a  certain 
date.  The  Kanaka  crew  of  the  schooner  Mr.  Gibney 
managed  to  ship  with  an  old  shipmaster  friend  bound 
for  New  Guinea,  so  their  testimony  was  out  of  the  way 
for  a  while,  at  least. 

When  the  Maggie  II  was  finally  discharged  and  the 
proceeds  of  her  rich  cargo  nestled,  in  crisp  bills  of  large 
denomination,  in  a  money  belt  under  Mr.  Gibney's  arm- 
pits and  next  his  rascally  skin,  he  purchased  tickets 
under  assumed  names  for  himself,  Scraggs,  McGuffey, 
and  Halvorsen  on  the  liner  Hilonian,  due  to  sail  at  noon 
next  day. 

These  details  attended  to,  the  Maggie  II  backed  away 
from  the  dock  under  her  own  power  and  cast  anchor 
off  the  quarantine  station.  The  mate  was  then  brought 
on  deck  and  made  to  confront  the  syndicate. 

"It  appears,  my  man,"  the  commodore  began,  "that 
you  was  too  anxious  to  horn  in  on  the  profits  o'  this 

281 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

expedition,  so  in  a  moment  o'  human  weakness  you  did 
your  employers  an  evil  deed.  We  had  it  all  figgered 
out  to  feed  you  to  the  sharks  on  the  way  home,  because 
dead  men  tell  no  tales,  but  our  sufferin's  on  that  island 
has  caused  us  all  to  look  with  a  milder  eye  on  mere 
human  shortcoming.  The  Good  Book  says:  'Forgive 
us  our  trespasses  as  we  forgive  those  what  trespass 
agin  us/  an'  I  ain't  ashamed  to  admit  that  you  owe 
your  wicked  life  to  the  fact  that  Scraggsy's  got  religion 
an'  McGuffey  ain't  much  better.  But  we  got  all  the 
money  we  need  an'  we're  goin'  to  Europe  to  enjoy  it, 
so  before  we  go  we're  goin'  to  pass  sentence  upon  you. 
It  is  the  verdict  o'  the  court  that  we  present  you  with 
the  power  schooner  Maggie  II  free  gratis,  an'  that  you 
accept  the  same  in  the  same  friendly  sperrit  in  which  it 
is  tendered.  Havin'  a  schooner  o'  your  own  from  now 
on,  you  won't  be  tempted  to  steal  one  an'  commit 
wholesale  murder  a-doin'  it.  You're  forgiven,  my 
man.  Take  the  Maggie  II  with  our  blessin',  organize  a 
comp'ny ,  an'  go  back  to  Kandavu  an'  make  some  money 
for  yourself.  Scraggsy,  are  you  a-willin'  to  prove  that 
you've  given  this  errin'  mate  complete  forgiveness  by 
shakin'  hands  with  him?" 

"I  forgive  him  freely,"  said  Captain  Scraggs,  "an* 
here's  my  fin  on  it." 

The  unfortunate  mate  hung  his  head.  He  was  much 
moved. 

"You  don't  mean  it,  sir,  do  you?  "  he  faltered. 

"I  hope  I  may  never  see  the  back  o'  my  neck  if  I 
don't,"  replied  the  skipper. 

"Surest  thing  you  know,  brother,"  shouted  Mr.  Mc- 
Guffey and  swatted  the  deluded  mate  between  the 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  283 

shoulders.  "Take  her  with  our  compliments.  You 
was  a  good  brave  mate  until  you  went  wrong.  I  ain't 
forgot  how  you  sprayed  the  hillsides  with  lead  the  day 
Gib  an'  Scraggsy  was  took  by  them  cannibals.  No, 
sir-ee!  I  ain't  holdin'  no  grudge.  It's  human  to 
commit  crime.  I've  committed  one  or  two  myself. 
Good  luck  to  you,  matey.  Hope  you  make  a  barrel  o' 
money  with  the  old  girl." 

"Thanks,"  the  mate  mumbled.  "I  ain't  deservin* 
o'  this  nohow,"  and  he  commenced  to  snivel  a  little. 

Mr.  Gibney  forgot  that  he  was  playing  a  hypocrite's 
part,  and  his  generous  nature  overcame  him. 

"Dog  my  cats,"  he  blustered,  "what's  the  use  givin* 
him  the  vessel  if  we  don't  give  him  some  spondulicks  to 
outfit  her  with  grub  an'  supplies?  Poor  devil!  I  bet 
he  ain't  got  a  cent  to  bless  himself  with.  Scraggsy, 
old  tarpot,  if  we're  goin'  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf  an'  be 
Christians,  let's  sail  under  a  full  cloud  o'  canvas." 

"By  Neptune,  that's  so,  Gib.  This  feller  did  us  an 
awful  dirty  trick,  but  at  the  same  time  there  ain't  a 
cowardly  bone  in  his  hull  carcass.  I  ain't  forgot  how  he 
stood  to  the  guns  that  day  off  the  Coronados  when  we 
was  attacked  by  the  Mexicans." 

"Stake  the  feller,  Gib,"  advised  McGuffey,  and 
wiped  away  a  vagrant  tear.  He  was  quite  overcome 
at  his  own  generosity  and  the  manner  in  which  it  had 
touched  the  hard  heart  of  the  iniquitous  mate. 

Mr.  Gibney  laid  five  one-hundred-dollar  bills  in  the 
mate's  palm. 

"Good-bye,"  he  said  gently,  "an*  see  if  you  can't  be 
as  much  of  a  man  an'  as  good  a  sport  hereafter  as  them 
you've  wronged  an'  who's  forgive  you  fully  and  freely." 


284  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

One  by  one  the  three  freebooters  of  the  green-pea 
trade  pumped  the  stricken  mate's  hand,  tossed  him  a 
scrap  of  advice,  and  went  overside  into  the  small  boat 
which  was  to  take  them  ashore.  It  was  a  solemn  part- 
ing and  Mr.  Gibney  and  McGuffey  were  snuffling  audi- 
bly. Captain  Scraggs,  however,  was  made  of  sterner 
stun7. 

"Tears  to  me,  Gib,"  he  remarked  when  they  were 
clear  of  the  schooner,  "that  you're  a  little  mite  gene- 
rous with  the  funds  o'  the  syndicate,  ain't  you?" 

Mr.  Gibney  picked  up  a  paddle  and  threatened 
Scraggs  with  it. 

"Dang  your  cold  heart,  Scraggs,"  he  hissed,  "you're 
un-Christian,  that's  what  you  are." 

"Quit  yer  beefin',  you  shrimp,"  bellowed  McGuffey. 
"Them  cannibals  would  have  et  you  if  it  wasn't  for 
that  poor  devil  of  a  mate." 

Captain  Scraggs  snarled  and  remained  discreetly 
silent.  Nevertheless,  he  was  in  a  fine  rage.  As  he 
remarked  sotto  voce  to  Neils  Halvorsen,  five  hundred 
dollars  wasn't  picked  up  in  the  street  every  day. 

The  next  day,  as  the  Hilonian  steamed  out  of  the  har- 
bour, bearing  the  syndicate  back  to  San  Francisco,  they 
looked  across  at  the  little  Maggie  II  for  the  last  time, 
and  observed  that  the  mate  was  on  deck,  superintend- 
ing three  Kanaka  sailors  who  were  hoisting  supplies 
aboard  from  a  bumboat. 

Commodore  Gibney  bade  his  first  command  a  misty 
farewell. 

"  Good-bye,  little  ship,"  he  yelled  and  waved  his  hand. 
66  Gawd !  You  was  a  witch  in  a  light  wind." 

"He'll  be  flyin'  outer  the  harbour  an'  bound  south  by 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  285 

sunset,"  rumbled  McGuffey.  "I  suppose  that  lovely 
gas  engine  o'  mine'll  go  to  hell  now." 

Captain  Scraggs  sighed  dismally.  "It  costs  like 
sixty  to  be  a  Christian,  Gib,  but  what's  the  odds  as 
long  as  we're  safe  an'  homeward  bound?  Holy  sailor! 
But  I'm  hungry  for  a  smell  o'  Channel  creek  at  low  tide. 
I  tell  you,  Gib,  rovin'  and  wild  adventure's  all  right, 
but  the  old  green-pea  trade  wasn't  so  durned  bad,  after 
all." 

"You  bet!"     McGuffey's  response  was  very  fervid. 

"Them  was  the  happy  days,"  supplemented  the 
commodore.  He  was  as  joyous  as  a  schoolboy.  Four 
long  years  had  he  been  roving  and  now,  with  his  pockets 
lined  with  greenbacks,  he  was  homeward  bound  to  his 
dear  old  San  Francisco — back  to  steam  beer,  to  all  of 
his  old  cronies  of  the  Embarcadero,  to  moving  picture 
shows — to  Life!  And  he  was  glad  to  get  back  with  a 
whole  skin. 

Seven  days  after  leaving  Honolulu,  the  Hilonian 
steamed  into  San  Francisco  Bay.  The  syndicate  could 
not  wait  until  she  had  tied  up  at  her  dock,  and  the  min- 
ute the  steamer  had  passed  quarantine  Mr.  Gibney 
hailed  a  passing  launch.  Bag  and  baggage  the  happy 
quartette  descended  to  the  launch  and  landed  at  Meiggs 
wharf.  Mr.  Gibney  stepped  into  the  wharfinger's  office 
and  requested  permission  to  use  the  telephone. 

"What's  up,  Gib?"  demanded  Captain  Scraggs. 

"I  want  to  'phone  for  a  automobile  to  come  down  an' 
snake  us  up  town  in  style.  This  syndicate  ain't  a-goin' 
to  come  rampin'  home  to  Gawd's  country  lookin'  like 
a  lot  o'  Eyetalian  peddlers.  We're  goin'  to  the  best 
hotel  an'  we're  goin'  in  style." 


£86  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

McGuffey  nudged  Captain  Scraggs,  and  Neils  Hal- 
vorsen  nudged  Mr.  McGuffey. 

"Hay  bane  a  sport,  hay  bane,"  rumbled  the  honest 
Neils. 

"You  bet  he  bane,"  McGuffey  retorted.  "Ain't  he 
the  old  kiddo,  Scraggsy?  Ain't  he?  This  feller  Adel- 
bert  P.  Gibney's  a  farmer,  I  guess." 

With  the  assistance  of  the  wharfinger  an  automobile 
was  summoned,  and  in  due  course  the  members  of  the 
syndicate  found  themselves  ensconced  in  a  fashionable 
suite  in  San  Francisco's  most  fashionable  hotel.  Mr. 
Gibney  stored  the  syndicate's  pearls  in  the  hotel  safe, 
deposited  an  emergency  roll  with  the  hotel  clerk,  and 
banked  the  balance  of  the  company  funds  in  the  names 
of  all  four;  after  which  the  syndicate  gave  itself  up  to  a 
period  of  joy  unconfined. 

At  the  end  of  a  week  of  riot  and  revelry  Mr.  Gibney 
revived  sufficiently  to  muster  all  hands  and  lead  them 
to  a  Turkish  bath.  Two  days  in  the  bath  restored 
them  wonderfully,  and  when  the  worthy  commodore 
eventually  got  them  back  to  the  hotel  he  announced 
that  henceforth  the  lid  was  on — and  on  tight.  Captain 
Scraggs,  who  was  hard  to  manage  in  his  cups  and  the 
most  prodigal  of  prodigals  with  steam  up  to  a  certain 
pressure,  demurred  at  this. 

"No  more  sky-larkin',  Scraggsy,  you  old  cut-up," 
Mr.  Gibney  ordered.  "We  had  our  good  time  comin' 
after  all  that  we've  been  through  but  it's  time  to  get 
down  to  business  agin.  Riches  has  wings,  Scraggsy, 
old  salamander,  an'  even  if  we  are  ashore,  I'm  still  the 
commodore.  Now,  set  around  an'  we'll  hold  a  meetin'." 

He  banged  the  chiffonier  with  his  great  fist.     "Meet- 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  287 

in'  o'  the  Maggie  Syndicate,"  he  announced.  "Meet- 
in'll  come  to  order.  The  first  business  before  the  meetin' 
is  a  call  for  volunteers  to  furnish  a  money-makin'  idee 
for  the  syndicate." 

Neils  Halvorsen  shook  his  sorrel  head.  He  had  no 
ideas.  B.  McGuffey,  Esquire,  shook  his  head  also. 
Captain  Scraggs  wanted  to  sing. 

"I  see  it's  up  to  me  to  suggest  somethin'."  Mr.  Gib- 
ney  smiled  benignly,  as  if  a  money-making  idea  was  the 
easiest  thing  on  earth  to  produce.  "The  last  thing  I 
remember  before  we  went  to  that  Turkish  bath  was 
us  four  visitin'  a  fortune  teller  an'  havin'  our  fortunes 
told,  past,  present,  an'  future,  for  a  dollar  a  throw. 
Anybody  here  remember  what  his  fortune  was?  " 

It  appeared  that  no  one  remembered,  not  even  Mr. 
Gibney.  He  therefore  continued: 

"The  chair  will  app'int  Mr.  McGuffey  an'  himself  a 
committee  o'  two  to  wait  on  one  o'  these  here  clair- 
voyants and  have  their  fortunes  told  agin." 

McGuffey,  who  was  as  superstitious  as  a  negro, 
seconded  the  motion  heartily  and  the  committee  forth- 
with sallied  forth  to  consult  the  clairvoyant.  Within 
the  hour  they  returned. 

"Members  o'  the  syndicate,"  the  commodore  an- 
nounced, "  we  got  an  idea.  Not  a  heluva  good  one,  but 
fair  to  middlin'.  Me  an'  Mac  calls  on  this  Madame 
de  What-you-may-call-her  an'  the  minute  she  gets  a 
lamp  at  my  mit  (it  is  worthy  of  remark  here  that  Mr. 
Gibney  had  a  starfish  tattooed  on  the  back  of  his  left 
hand,  a  full-rigged  ship  across  his  breast,  and  a  gor- 
geous picture  of  a  lady  climbing  a  ladder  adorned  the 
inner  side  of  his  brawny  right  fore-arm.  The  feet  of 


238  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

the  lady  in  question  hung  down  below  the  fringe  of 
Mr.  Gibney's  shirt  sleeve)  she  up  an'  says:  'My  friend, 
you're  makin'  a  grave  mistake  remainin'  ashore.  Your 
fortune  lies  at  sea.'  Then  she  threw  a  fit  an'  mumbled 
something  about  a  light-haired  man  that  was'  goin'  to 
cross  my  path.  I  guess  she  must  have  meant  Scraggsy 
or  Neils,  both  bein'  blondes — an*  she  come  out  of  her 
trance  shiverin'  an'  shakin'. 

"Your  fortune  lies  at  sea,  my  friend,'  she  kept  on 
^ayin'.  'Go  forth  an'  seek  it.' 

"  'Gimme  the  longitude  an*  latitude,  ma'am/  I  says, 
W  I'll  light  out.' 

"'Look  in  the  shippin'  news  in  the  papers  to-mor- 
rower,'  she  pipes  up.  'Five  dollars,  please.' 

"You  didn't  give  her  five  dollars,  did  you?"  gasped 
Captain  Scraggs.  "Why,  Gib  my  dear  boy,  I  thought 
you  was  sober." 

"So  I  was." 

"Then,  Gib,  all  I  got  to  say  is  that  you're  a  sucker. 
You  want  to  consult  the  rest  of  us  before  you  go  throw- 
in'  away  the  funds  o'  the  syndicate  on  such  torn-fool 
idees  as " 

McGuffey  saw  a  storm  gathering  on  Mr.  Gibney's 
brows,  and  hastened  to  intervene. 

"Meetin's  adjourned,"  he  announced,  "pendin'  the 
issue  o'  the  papers  to-morrow  mornin'.  Scraggsy,  you 
oughter  j'ine  the  Band  o'  Hope.  You're  ugly  when  you 
got  a  drink  in  you." 

Neils  Halvorsen  interfered  to  beg  a  cigar  of  Mr.  Gib- 
ney  and  the  affair  passed  over. 

At  six  o'clock  the  following  morning  the  members  of 
the  syndicate  were  awakened  by  a  prodigious  pound- 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  289 

ing  at  their  respective  doors.  Answering  the  summons, 
they  found  Mr.  Gibney  in  undress  uniform  and  the 
morning  paper  clutched  in  his  hand. 

"Meetin*  o'  the  Maggie  Syndicate  in  my  room,"  he 
bawled.  "I've  found  our  fortune." 

The  meeting  came  to  order  without  the  formality  of 
dressing,  and  the  commodore,  spreading  the  paper  on 
his  knee,  read  aloud: 

For  Sale  Cheap 

The  stern-wheel  steamer  Victor,  well  found,  staunch  and  newly 
painted.  Boilers  and  engines  in  excellent  shape.  Vessel  must  be 
sold  to  close  out  an  estate.  Address  John  Coakley,  Jackson  Street 
wharf. 

"How  d'ye  know  she's  a  fortune,  Gib?"  McGuffey 
demanded.  "Lemme  look  at  her  engines  before  you 
get  excited." 

"I  ain't  sayin'  she  is,"  Mr.  Gibney  retorted  testily. 
"Lemme  finish  readin!"  He  continued: 

REPORTS  PASSING  DERELICT 

The  steam  schooner  Arethusa,  Grays  Harbour  to  Oakland  Long 
wharf,  reports  passing  a  derelict  schooner  twenty  miles  off  Point 
Reyes  at  six  o'clock  last  night.  The  derelict  was  down  by  the  head, 
and  her  rail  just  showed  above  the  water.  It  was  impossible  to 
learn  her  identity. 

The  presence  of  this  derelict  in  the  steamer  lanes  to  North  Pacific 
ports  is  a  distinct  menace  to  navigation,  and  it  is  probable  that  a 
revenue  cutter  will  be  dispatched  to-day  to  search  for  the  derelict 
and  either  tow  her  into  port  or  destroy  her. 

"  Gentlemen  o'  the  syndicate,  them's  the  only  two 
items  in  the  shippin'  page  that  looks  likely.  The  ques- 
tion is,  in  which  lies  our  fortune?" 


290  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

Neils  Halvorsen  spoke  up,  giving  it  as  his  opinion  that 
the  fortune-telling  lady  probably  knew  her  business  and 
that  their  fortune  really  lay  at  sea.  The  derelict  was 
at  sea.  How  else,  then,  could  the  prophecy  be  inter- 
preted? 

"Well,  this  steamer  Victor  ain't  exactly  travelling 
overland,"  McGuffey  suggested.  He  had  a  secret 
hankering  to  mess  around  some  real  engines  again,  and 
gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  fortune  was  more  likely  to 
lurk  in  a  solid  stern-wheel  steamer  with  good  engines 
and  boilers  than  in  a  battered  hulk  at  sea.  Captain 
Scraggs  agreed  with  him  most  heartily  and  a  tie  vote 
resulted,  Mr.  Gibney  inclining  toward  the  derelict. 

"What 're  we  goin'  to  do  about  it,  Gib?"  Captain 
Scraggs  demanded. 

"When  in  doubt,  Scraggsy,  old  tarpot,  always  play 
trumps.  In  order  to  make  no  mistake,  right  after 
breakfast  you  an'  McGuffey  go  down  to  Jackson  Street 
wharf  an'  interview  this  man  Coakley  about  his  steamer 
Victor.  You  been  goin'  to  sea  long  enough  to  know  a 
good  hull  when  you  see  it,  an'  if  we  can't  trust  Mac  to 
know  a  good  set  of  inner  works  we'd  better  dissolve  the 
syndicate.  If  you  two  think  she's  a  bargain,  buy  her 
in  for  the  syndicate.  As  for  me  an'  Neils,  we'll  go  down 
to  the  Front  an'  charter  a  tug  an'  chase  out  after  that 
there  derelict  before  the  revenue  cutter  gets  her  an* 
blows  her  out  o'  the  path  o'  commerce  with  a  stick  o' 
dynamite." 

Forthwith  Mr.  Gibney  and  Neils,  after  snatching  a 
hasty  breakfast,  departed  for  the  waterfront,  where  they 
chartered  a  tug  for  three  days  and  put  to  sea.  At 
about  ten  o'clock  Captain  Scraggs  and  McGuffey  strol- 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

led  leisurely  down  to  Jackson  Street  wharf  to  inspect 
the  Victor.  By  noon  they  had  completed  a  most  satis- 
factory inspection  of  the  steamer's  hull  and  boilers,  and 
bought  her  in  for  seven  thousand  dollars.  Captain 
Scraggs  was  delighted.  He  said  she  was  worth  ten 
thousand.  Already  he  had  decided  that  heavy  and 
profitable  freights  awaited  the  syndicate  along  the  Sacra- 
mento River,  where  the  farmers  and  orchardists  had 
been  for  years  the  victims  of  a  monopoly  and  a  gentle- 
men's agreement  between  the  two  steamboat  lines  that 
plied  between  Sacramento,  Stockton,  and  San  Francisco. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  Mr.  Gibney  and 
Neils  Halvorsen  returned  from  sea.  They  were  unut- 
terably weary  and  hollow-eyed  for  lack  of  sleep. 

"Well,  I  suppose  you  two  suckers  found  that  dere- 
lict," challenged  McGuffey. 

"Yep.  Found  her  an'  got  a  line  aboard  an'  towed 
her  in,  an'  it  was  a  tough  job.  She's  layin'  over  on  the 
Berkeley  tide  flats,  an'  at  lowtide  to-morrow  we'll 
go  over  an'  find  out  what  we've  got.  Don't  even  know 
her  name  yet.  She's  practically  submerged." 

"I  think  you  was  awful  foolish,  Gib,  buyin'  a  pig 
in  a  poke  that  way.  I  don't  believe  in  goin'  it  blind. 
Me  an'  Mac's  bought  a  real  ship.  We  own  the  Victor." 

"I'm  dead  on  my  feet,"  growled  the  commodore,  and 
jumping  into  bed  he  refused  to  discuss  the  matter  fur- 
ther and  was  sound  asleep  in  a  jiffy. 

Mr.  Gibney  was  up  bright  and  early  and  aroused  the 
syndicate  to  action.  The  tide  would  be  at  its  lowest 
ebb  at  nine  thirty-one  and  the  commodore  figured 
that  his  fortune  would  be  lying  well  exposed  on  the 
Berkeley  tide  flats.  He  engaged  a  diver  and  a  small 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

gasoline  launch,  and  after  an  early  breakfast  in  a  chop- 
house  on  the  Embarcadero  they  started  for  the  wreck. 

They  were  within  half  a  mile  of  it,  heading  right  into 
the  eye  of  the  wind,  when  Captain  Scraggs  and  McGuf- 
f ey  stood  erect  in  the  launch  simultaneously  and  sniffed 
like  a  pair  of — well,  sea-dogs. 

"Dead  whale,"  suggested  McGuffey. 

"I  hope  it  ain't  Gib's  fortune,"  replied  Scraggs  drily. 

"Shut  up,"  bellowed  Mr.  Gibney.  He  was  sniffing 
himself  by  this  time,  for  as  the  launch  swiftly  ap- 
proached the  derelict  the  unpleasant  odour  became  more 
pronounced. 

"Betcher  that  schooner  was  in  collision  with  a 
steamer,"  Captain  Scraggs  announced.  "She  was  cut 
down  right  through  the  fo'castle  with  the  watch  below 
sound  asleep,  an'  this  here  fragrance  appeals  to  me  as  a 
sure  sign  of  a  job  for  the  coroner." 

The  commodore  shuddered.  He  was  filled  with 
vague  misgivings,  but  Neils  Halvorsen  grinned  cheer- 
fully. McGuffey  got  out  a  cologne-scented  handker- 
chief and  clamped  it  across  his  nose. 

"Well,  if  that's  Gib's  fortune,  it  must  be  filthy  lucre," 
he  mumbled  through  the  handkerchief.  "Gib,  what 
have  you  hooked  on  to?  A  public  dump?" 

Mr.  Gibney's  eyes  flashed,  but  he  made  no  reply. 
They  had  rounded  the  schooner's  stern  now,  and  her 
name  was  visible. 

"Schooner  Kadiak,  Seattle,"  read  Scraggs.  "Little 
old  three  sticker  a  thousand  years  old  an'  cut  clear 
through  just  abaft  the  foremast.  McGuffey,  you  don't 
s'pose  this  here's  a  pirate  craft  an'  just  bulgin'  with 
gold." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  293 

"Sure,"  retorted  the  engineer  with  a  slow  wink, 
"tainted  wealth." 

Mr.  Gibney  could  stand  their  heckling  no  longer. 
"Looky  here,  you  two,"  he  bawled  angrily.  "I  got  a 
hunch  I  picked  up  a  lemon,  but  I'm  a-willin'  to  tackle 
the  deal  with  Neils  if  you  two  think  I  didn't  do  right 
by  the  syndicate  a-runnin'  up  a  bill  of  expense  towing 
this  craft  into  port.  I  ain't  goin'  to  stand  for  no  kiddin', 
even  if  we  are  in  a  five-hundred-dollar  towage  bill. 
Man  is  human  an'  bound  to  make  mistakes." 

"Don't  kid  the  commodore,  Scraggsy.  This  aro- 
mer  o'  roses  is  more'n  a  strong  man  can  stand,  so  cut 
out  the  josh." 

"All  right,  Mac.  I  guess  the  commodore's  foot 
slipped  this  time,  but  I  ain't  squawkin'  yet." 

"No.    Not  yet"  cried  Mr.  Gibney  bitterly,  "but 


soon." 


"I  ain't,  nuther,"  Captain  Scraggs  assumed  an  air  of 
injured  virtue.  "I'm  a-willin'  to  go  through  with  you, 
Gib,  at  a  loss,  for  nothin'  else  except  to  convince  you 
o'  the  folly  o'  makin'  this  a  one-man  syndicate.  I  ain't 
a-kickin',  but  I'm  free  to  confess  that  I'd  like  to  be 
consulted  oncet  in  a  while." 

"That's  logic,"  rumbled  the  single-minded  McGuffey. 

"You  dirty  welchers,*"  roared  the  commodore.  "I 
ain't  askin'  you  two  to  take  chances  with  me.  Me 
an9  Neils'll  take  this  deal  over  independent  o'  the  syn- 
dicate." 

"Well,  let's  dress  this  here  diver,"  retorted  the  cau- 
tious Scraggs,  "an'  send  him  into  the  hold  for  a  look 
around  before  we  make  up  our  minds."  Captain 
Scraggs  was  not  a  man  to  take  chances. 


294  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

They  moored  the  launch  to  the  wreck  and  com- 
menced operations.  Mr.  Gibney  worked  the  air 
pump  while  the  diver,  ax  in  hand,  dropped  into  the 
murky  depths  of  the  flooded  hold.  He  was  down 
half  an  hour  before  he  signalled  to  be  pulled  up.  All 
hands  sprang  to  the  line  to  haul  him  back  to  daylight, 
and  the  instant  he  popped  clear  of  the  water  Mr.  Gib- 
ney unburdened  himself  of  an  agonized  curse. 

In  his  hands  the  diver  held  a  large  decayed  codfish! 

Captain  Scraggs  turned  a  sneering  glance  upon  the 
unhappy  commodore  while  McGuffey  sat  down  on  the 
damp  rail  of  the  derelict  and  laughed  until  the  tears 
coursed  down  his  honest  face. 

"A  dirty  little  codfishin'  schooner,"  raved  Captain 
Scraggs,  "an'  you  a-sinkin'  the  time  an'  money  o'  the 
syndicate  in  rotten  codfish  on  the  say-so  of  a  clairvoy- 
ant you  ain't  even  been  interduced  to.  Gib,  if  that's 
business,  all  I  got  to  say  is:  'Excuse  me9." 

Mr.  Gibney  seized  the  defunct  fish  from  the  diver's 
hand,  tore  it  in  half,  slapped  Captain  Scraggs  with  one 
awful  fragment  and  hurled  the  other  at  McGuffey. 

"I'm  outer  the  syndicate,"  he  raved,  beside  himself 
with  anger.  "Here  I  go  to  work  an'  make  a  fortune 
for  a  pair  of  short  sports  an'  pikers  an'  you  get  to 
squealin'  at  the  first  five-hundred-dollar  loss.  I  know 
you  of  old,  Phineas  Scraggs,  an'  the  leopard  can't 
change  his  spots."  He  raised  his  right  hand  to  heaven. 
"I'm  through  for  keeps.  We'll  sell  the  pearls  to-day, 
divvy  up,  an'  dissolve.  I'm  through." 

"Glad  of  it,"  growled  McGuffey.  "I  don't  want 
no  more  o'  that  codfish,  an*  as  soon  as  we  git  fightin' 
room  I'll  prove  to  you  that  no  near-sailor  can  insult 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  £95 

me  an*  git  away  with  it.  Me  an'  Scraggsy 's  got  some 
rights.  You  can  walk  on  Scraggsy,  Gib,  but  it  takes  a 
man  to  walk  on  the  McGuffey  family." 

Nothing  but  the  lack  of  sea-room  prevented  a  battle 
royal.  Mr.  Gibney  stood  glaring  at  his  late  partners. 
His  great  ham-like  fists  were  opening  and  closing  auto- 
matically. 

"You're  right,  Mac,"  he  said  presently,  endeavour- 
ing to  control  his  anger  and  chagrin.  "We'll  settle 
this  later.  Take  that  helmet  off  the  diver  an'  let's 
hear  what  he's  got  to  report." 

With  the  helmet  removed  the  diver  spoke: 

"As  near  as  I  can  make  out,  boss,  there  ain't  a  thing 
o*  value  in  this  hulk  but  a  couple  o'  hundred  tons  o' 
codfish.  She  was  cut  in  two  just  for'd  o'  the  bulkhead 
an'  her  anchors  carried  away  on  the  section  that  was  cut 
off.  She  ain't  worth  the  cost  o'  towin'  her  in  on  the 
flats.'5 

"So  that  codfish  has  some  value,"  sneered  Captain 
Scraggs. 

"Great  grief,  Scraggsy!  Don't  tell  me  it's  sp'iled," 
cried  McGuffey,  simulating  horror. 

"No,  not  quite,  Mac,  not  quite.  Just  slightly. 
I  s'pose  Gib'll  tack  a  sign  to  the  stub  o'  the  main  mast: 
'Slightly  spoiled  codfish  for  sale.  Apply  to  A.  P.  Gib- 
ney, on  the  premises.  Special  rates  on  Friday.' " 

Mr.  Gibney  quivered,  but  made  no  reply.  He  care- 
fully examined  that  portion  of  the  derelict  above  water 
and  discovered  that  by  an  additional  expenditure  of 
about  fifty  dollars  he  might  recover  an  equal  amount 
in  brass  fittings.  The  Kadiak's  house  was  gone  and  her 
decks  completely  gutted.  Nothing  remained  *but  the 


£96  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

amputated  hull  and  the  foul  cargo  below  her  battered 
decks. 

In  majestic  silence  the  commodore  motioned  all 
hands  into  the  launch.  In  silence  they  returned  to  the 
city.  Arrived  here,  Mr.  Gibney  paid  off  the  launch 
man  and  the  diver  and  accompanied  by  his  associates 
repaired  to  a  prominent  jeweller's  shop  with  the  pearls 
they  had  accumulated  in  the  South  Seas.  The  entire 
lot  was  sold  for  thirty  thousand  dollars.  An  hour  later 
they  had  adjusted  their  accounts,  divided  the  fortune 
of  the  syndicate  equally,  and  then  dissolved.  At  part- 
ing, Mr.  Gibney  spoke  for  the  first  time  when  it  had 
not  been  absolutely  necessary. 

"Put  a  beggar  on  horseback  an'  he'll  ride  to  the 
devil,"  he  said.  "When  you  two  swabs  was  poor  you 
was  content  to  let  me  lead  you  into  a  fortune,  but  now 
that  you're  well-heeled,  you  think  you're  business  men. 
All  right!  I  ain't  got  a  word  to  say  except  this:  Be- 
fore I  get  through  with  you  two  beachcombers  I'll  have 
all  your  money  and  you'll  be  a-beggin'  me  for  a  job. 
I  apologize  for  soakin'  you  two  with  that  diseased  cod- 
fish, an'  for  old  sake's  sake  we  won't  fight.  We're  still 
friends,  but  business  associates  no  longer,  for  I'm  too 
big  a  figger  in  this  syndicate  to  stand  for  any  criticism 
on  my  handlin'  o'  the  joint  finances.  Hereafter, 
Scraggsy,  old  kiddo,  you  an'  Mac  can  go  it  alone  with 
your  stern  wheel  steamer.  Me  an'  The  Squarehead  legs 
it  together  an9  takes  our  chances.  You  don't  hear 
that  poor  untootered  Swede  makin'  no  holler  at  the  way 
I've  handled  the  syndicate " 

"But,  Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  chattered  Captain  Scraggs, 
"will  you  just  listen  to  re " 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  297 

"Enough!  Too  much  is  plenty.  Let's  shake  hands 
an'  part  friends.  We  just  can't  get  along  in  business 
together,  that's  all." 

"Well,  I'm  sorry,  Gib,"  mumbled  McGuffey,  very 
much  crestfallen,  "but  then  you  hove  that  dog-gone 
fish  at  me  an' " 

"That  was  fortune  hittin'  you  a  belt  in  the  face, 
Mac,  an'  you  was  too  self-conceited  to  recognize  it. 
Remember  that,  both  of  you  two.  Fortune  hit  you 
in  the  face  to-day  an'  you  didn't  know  it." 

"I'd  ruther  die  poor,  Gib,"  wailed  McGuffey. 

The  commodore  shook  hands  cordially  and  de- 
parted, followed  by  the  faithful  Neils  Halvorsen.  The 
moment  the  door  closed  behind  them  Scraggs  turned  to 
the  engineer. 

"Mac,"  he  said  earnestly,  "Gib's  up  to  somethin'. 
He's  got  that  imagination  o'  his  workin'.  I  can  tell  it 
every  time;  he  gets  a  foggy  look  in  his  eyes.  We  made 
a  mistake  kiddin'  him  to-day.  Gib's  a  sensitive  boy 
some  ways  an'  I  reckon  we  hurt  his  feelin's  without 
intendin'  it." 

"He  thrun  a  dead  codfish  at  me,"  protested  Mc- 
Guffey. "I  love  old  Gib  like  a  brother,  but  that's 
carryin'  things  with  a  mighty  high  hand." 

"Well,  I'll  apologize  to  him,"  declared  Captain 
Scraggs  and  started  for  the  door  to  follow  Mr.  Gibney. 
McGuffey  barred  his  way. 

"You  apologize  without  my  consent  an'  you  gotta 
buy  me  out  o*  the  Victor.  I  won't  be  no  engineer  with 
a  skipper  that  lacks  backbone." 

"Oh,  very  well,  Mac."  Captain  Scraggs  realized 
too  well  the  value  of  McGuffey  in  the  engine  room. 


298  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

He  knew  he  could  never  be  happy  with  anybody  else. 
"We'll  complete  the  deal  with  the  Victor,  ship  a  crew, 
get  down  to  business,  an'  leave  Gib  to  his  codfish.  An' 
let's  pay  our  bill  an'  get  outer  here.  It's  too  high-toned 
for  me — an'  expensive." 

For  two  weeks  Captain  Scraggs  and  McGuffey  saw 
no  more  of  Mr.  Gibney  and  Neils  Halvorsen.  In  the 
meantime,  they  had  commenced  running  the  Victor 
regularly  up  river,  soliciting  business  in  opposition  to 
the  regular  steamboat  lines.  While  the  Victor  was 
running  with  light  freights  and  consequently  at  a  loss, 
the  prospect  for  ultimate  good  business  was  very  bright 
and  Scraggs  and  McGuffey  were  not  at  all  worried 
about  the  future. 

Judge  of  their  surprise,  therefore,  when  one  morning 
who  should  appear  at  the  door  of  Scraggs's  cabin  but 
Mr.  Gibney. 

"Morain',  Gib,"  began  Scraggs  cheerily.  "I  s'pose 
you  been  rolled  for  your  money  as  per  usual,  an'  you're 
around  lookin'  for  a  job  as  mate." 

Mr.  Gibney  ignored  this  veiled  insult.  "Not  yet, 
Scraggsy,  I  got  about  five  hundred  tons  o'  freight  to 
send  up  to  Dunnigan's  Landin'  an'  I  want  a  lump  sum 
figger  for  doin'  the  job.  We  parted  friends  an'  for  the 
sake  o'  old  times  I  thought  I'd  give  you  a  chance  to 
figger  on  the  business." 

"Thanky,  Gib.  I'll  be  glad  to.  Where's  your 
freight  an'  what  does  it  consist  of?" 

"Agricultural  stuff.  It's  crated,  an'  I  deliver  it  here 
on  the  steamer's  dock  within  reach  o'  her  tackles.  No 
heavy  pieces.  Two  men  can  handle  every  piece  easy." 

"Turnin'  farmer,  Gib?" 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIEATES 

"Thinkin'  about  it  a  little,"  the  commodore  ad- 
mitted. "What's  your  rate  on  this  freight?  It  ain't 
perishable  goods,  so  get  down  to  brass  tacks." 

"A  dollar  a  ton,"  declared  the  greedy  Scraggs,  nam- 
ing a  figure  fully  forty  cents  higher  than  he  would  have 
been  willing  to  accept.  "Five  hundred  dollars  for  the 
lot." 

"  Suits  me."  The  commodore  nonchalantly  handed 
Scraggs  five  hundred  dollars.  "  Gimme  a  receipt,"  he  said. 

So  Captain  Scraggs  gave  him  a  receipted  freight  bill 
and  Mr.  Gibney  departed.  An  hour  later  a  barge  was 
bunted  alongside  the  Victor  and  Neils  Halvorsen  ap- 
peared in  Scraggs's  cabin  to  inform  him  that  the  five 
hundred  tons  of  freight  was  ready  to  be  taken  aboard. 

"All  right,  Neils.  I'll  put  a  gang  to  work  right  off." 
He  came  out  on  deck,  paused,  tilted  his  nose,  and  sniffed. 
He  was  still  sniffing  when  McGuffey  bounced  up  out  of 
the  engine  room. 

"Holy  Sailor!"  he  shouted.  "Who  uncorked  that 
atter  o'  violets?" 

"You  dog-gone  squarehead,"  shrieked  Captain 
Scraggs.  "You  been  monkeyin'  around  that  codfish 
again." 

"What  smells?"  demanded  the  mate,  poking  his  nose 
out  of  his  room. 

"That  tainted  wealth  I  picked  up  at  sea,"  shouted  a 
voice  from  the  dock,  and  turning,  Scraggs  and  Mc- 
Guffey observed  Mr.  Gibney  standing  on  a  stringer 
smiling  at  them. 

"Gib,  my  dear  boy,"  quavered  Captain  Scraggs, 
"you  can't  mean  to  say  you've  unloaded  them  gosh- 
awful  codfish " 


300  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"No,  not  yet — but  soon,  Scraggsy,  old  tarpot." 

Captain  Scraggs  removed  his  near-Panama  hat,  cast 
it  on  the  deck,  and  pranced  upon  it  in  a  terrible  rage. 

"I  won't  receive  your  rotten  freight,  you  scum  of  the 
docks,"  he  raved.  "You'll  run  me  outer  house  an' 
home  with  that  horrible  stuff." 

"Oh,  you'll  freight  it  for  me,  all  right,"  the  commo- 
dore retorted  blithely.  "Or  I'll  libel  your  old  stern- 
wheel  packet  for  you.  I've  paid  the  freight  in  advance 
an'  I  got  the  receipt." 

Captain  Scraggs  was  on  the  verge  of  tears.  "But, 
Gib!  My  dear  boy!  This  freight'll  foul  the  Victor 
up  for  a  month  o' Fridays —  an*  I  just  took  out  a  passenger 
license  /" 

"I'm  sorry,  Scraggsy,  but  business  is  business. 
You've  took  my  money  an'  you  got  to  perform." 

"You  lied  to  me.  You  said  it  was  agricultural  stuff 
an'  I  thought  it  was  plows  an'  harrers  an'  sich " 

"It's  fertilizer — an'  if  that  ain't  agricultural  stuff 
I  hope  my  teeth  may  drop  out  an'  roll  in  the  ocean. 
An'  it  ain't  perishable.  It  perished  long  ago.  I  ain't 
deceived  you.  An'  if  you  don't  like  the  scent  o'  dead 
codfish  on  your  decks,  you  can  swab  'em  down  with 
Florida  water  for  a  month." 

_  Captain  Scraggs's  mate  came  around  the  corner  of  the 
house  and  addressed  himself  to  Captain  Scraggs. 

"You  can  give  me  my  time,  sir.  I'm  a  steamboat 
mate,  not  a  grave  digger  or  a  coroner's  assistant,  or  an 
undertaker,  an'  I  can't  stand  to  handle  this  here 
freight." 

Mr.  McGuffey  tossed  his  silken  engineer's  cap  over 
to  Scraggs. 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  301 

"Hop  on  that,  Scraggsy.  Your  own  hat  is  ground  to 
powder.  Ain't  it  strange,  Gib,  what  little  imagination 
Scraggsy 's  got?  He'll  stand  there  a-screamin'  an' 
a-cussin'  an'  a-prancin' — Scraggsy!  Ain't  you  got  no 
pride,  makin'  such  a  spectacle  o'  yourself?  We  don't 
have  to  handle  this  freight  o'  Gib's  at  all.  We'll  just 
hook  onto  that  barge  an9  tow  it  up  river99 

"You  won't  do  nothin'  o'  the  sort,  Mac,  because 
that's  my  barge  an'  I  ain't  a-goin'  to  let  it  out  o'  my 
sight.  I've  delivered  my  freight  alongside  your  steamer 
and  prepaid  the  freight  an'  it's  up  to  you  to  handle  it." 

"Gib!" 

"  That's  the  programme ! " 

"Adelbert,"  crooned  Mr.  McGuffey,  "ain't  you  got 
no  heart?  You  know  I  got  a  half  interest  in  the 
Victor " 

"O-oo-oh!"  Captain  Scraggs  groaned,  and  his 
groan  was  that  of  a  seasick  passenger.  When  he  could 
look  up  again  his  face  was  ghastly  with  misery. 

"Gib,"  he  pleaded  sadly,  "you  got  us  where  the  hair 
is  short.  Don't  invoke  the  law  an'  make  us  handle 
that  codfish,  Gib!  It  ain't  right.  Gimme  leave  to 
tow  that  barge — anything  to  keep  your  freight  off  the 
Victor,  an'  we'll  pull  it  up  river  for  you " 

"Be  a  good  feller,  Gib.  You  usen'ter  be  hard  an' 
spiteful  like  that,"  urged  McGuffey. 

"I'll  tow  the  barge  free,"  wailed  Scraggs. 

Mr.  Gibney  sat  calmly  down  on  the  stringer  and  lit  a 
cigar.  Nature  had  blessed  him  with  a  strong  con- 
stitution amidships  and  the  contiguity  of  his  tainted  for- 
tune bothered  him  but  little.  He  squinted  over  the 
tip  of  the  cigar  at  Captain  Scraggs. 


302  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

"You're  just  the  same  old  Scraggsy  you  was  in  the 
green-pea  trade.  All  you  need  is  a  ring  in  yer  nose, 
Scraggsy,  to  make  you  a  human  hog.  Here  you  goes 
to  work  an'  soaks  me  a  dollar  a  ton  when  you'd  be 
tickled  to  death  to  do  the  job  for  half  o'  that,  an'  then 
you  got  the  gall  to  stand  there  appealin'  to  my  friend- 
ship! So  you'll  tow  the  barge  up  free,  eh?  Well,  just 
to  make  the  transaction  legal,  I'll  give  you  a  dollar  for 
the  job  an'  let  you  have  the  barge.  Skip  to  it,  Scraggsy, 
an'  draw  up  a  new  bill,  guaranteein'  to  tow  the  barge 
for  one  dollar.  Then  gimme  back  $499.00  an'  I'll 
hand  you  back  this  receipted  freight  bill." 

Captain  Scraggs  darted  into  his  cabin,  dashed  off 
the  necessary  document,  and  returning  to  the  deck, 
presented  it,  together  with  the  requisite  refund,  to  Mr. 
Gibney,  who,  in  the  meantime,  had  come  aboard. 

"Whatever  are  you  a-goin'  to  do  with  this  awful  cod- 
fish, Gib?"  he  demanded. 

Mr.  Gibney  cocked  his  hat  over  one  ear  and  blew  a 
cloud  of  smoke  in  the  skipper's  face. 

"Well,  boys,  I'll  tell  you.  Salted  codfish  that's  been 
under  water  a  long  time  gets  most  o'  the  salt  took  out 
of  it,  an'  even  at  sea,  if  it's  left  long  enough,  it'll  get  so 
durned  ripe  that  it's  what  you  might  call  offensive. 
But  it  makes  good  fertilizer.  There  ain't  nothin'  in  the 
world  to  equal  a  dead  codfish,  medium  ripe,  for  fer- 
tilizer. I've  rigged  up  a  deal  with  a  orchard  comp'ny 
that's  layin'  out  a  couple  o'  thousand  acres  o*  young 
trees  up  in  the  delta  lands  o'  the  Sacramento.  I've 
sold  'em  the  lot,  after  first  buyin'  it  from  the  owners  o' 
the  schooner  for  a  hundred  dollars.  Every  time  these 
orchard  fellers  dig  a  hole  to  plant  a  young  fruit  tree 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  303 

they  aims  to  heave  a  codfish  in  the  bottom  o'  the  hole 
first,  for  fertilizer.  There  was  upwards  o'  two  hundred 
thousand  codfish  in  that  schooner  an*  I've  sold  'em 
for  five  cents  each,  delivered  at  Dunnigan's  Landin'. 
I  figger  on  cleanin'  up  about  seven  thousand  net  on 
the  deal.  I  thought  me  an'  Neils  was  stuck  at  first, 
but  I  got  my  imagination  workin' " 

Captain  Scraggs  sank  limply  into  McGuffey's  arms 
and  the  two  stared  at  the  doughty  commodore. 

"Hit  in  the  face  with  a  fortune  an'  didn't  know  it," 
gasped  poor  McGuffey.  "Gib,  I'm  sure  glad  you  got 
out  whole  on  that  deal." 

"Thanks  to  a  lack  o'  imagination  in  you  an'  Scraggsy 
I'm  about  two  hundred  an'  fifty  dollars  ahead  o*  my 
estimate  now,  on  account  o'  the  free  tow  o'  that  barge. 
Me  an'  Neils  certainly  makes  a  nice  little  split  on  ac- 
count o'  this  here  codfish  deal." 

"Gib,"  chattered  Scraggs,  "what's  the  matter  with 
reorganizin'  the  syndicate?" 

"Be  a  good  feller,  Adelbert,"  pleaded  McGuffey. 

Mr.  Gibney  was  never  so  vulnerable  as  when  one  he 
really  loved  called  him  by  his  Christian  name.  He 
drew  an  arm  across  the  shoulders  of  McGuffey  and 
Scraggs,  while  Neils  Halvorsen  stood  by,  his  yellow 
fangs  flashing  with  pleasure  under  his  walrus  mous- 
tache. 

"So  you  two  boys're  finally  willin5  to  admit  that  I'm 
the  white-haired  boy,  eh?" 

"Gib,  you  got  an  imagination  an'  a  half." 

"One  hundred  an'  fifty  per  cent,  efficient,"  McGuffey 
declared. 

Neils  Halvorsen  said  nothing,  but  grinned  like  the 


304  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

head  of  an  old  fiddle.  Mr.  Gibney  appeared  to  swell 
visibly,  after  the  manner  of  a  turkey  gobbler. 

"Thanks,  Scraggsy — an'  you,  too,  Bart.  So  you're 
willin'  to  admit  that  though  that  there  seeress  might 
have  helped  some  the  game  would  have  been  deader 
than  it  is  if  it  hadn't  been  for  my  imagination?  " 

Captain  Scraggs  nodded  and  Mr.  McGuffey  slapped 
the  commodore  on  the  back  affectionately.  "Aye  bane 
buy  drink  in  the  Bowhead  saloon,"  The  Squarehead 
announced. 

"Scraggsy!  Mac!  Your  fins!  We'll  reorganize  the 
syndicate,  an'  the  minute  me  an'  Neils  finds  ourselves 
with  a  bill  o'  sale  for  a  one  quarter  interest  in  the 
Victor,  based  on  the  actual  cost  price,  we'll  tow  this 
here  barge " 

"An5  split  the  profits  on  the  codfish?  "  Scraggs  queried 
eagerly. 

"Certainly  not.  Me  an'  Neils  splits  that  fifty-fifty. 
A  quarter  o'  them  profits  is  too  high  a  price  to  pay  for 
your  friendship,  Scraggsy,  old  deceitful.  Remember, 
I  made  that  profit  after  you  an'  Mac  had  pulled  out  o' 
the  syndicate." 

"That's  logic,"  McGuffey  declared. 

"It's  highway  robbery,"  Scraggs  snarled.  "I  won't 
sell  no  quarter  interest  to  you  or  The  Squarehead,  Gib. 
Not  on  them  terms." 

"Then  you'll  load  them  codfish  aboard,  or  pay  de- 
murrage on  that  barge  for  every  day  they  hang  around; 
an'  if  the  Board  o'  Health  condemns  'em  an'  chucks  'em 
overboard  I'll  sue  you  an'  Mac  for  my  lost  profits,  git 
a  judgment  agin  you,  an'  take  over  the  Victor  to  satisfy 
the  judgment." 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  305 

"You're  a  sea  lawyer,  Gib,"  Scraggs  retorted  sar- 
castically. 

"You  do  what  Gib  says,"  McGuffey  ordered  threat- 
eningly. "Remember,  I  got  a  half  interest  in  any  jedg- 
ment  he  gits  agin  us — an'  what's  more,  I  object  to  them 
codfish  clutterin'  up  my  half  interest." 

"You  bullied  me  on  the  old  Maggie,"  Scraggs 
screeched,  "but  I  won't  be  bullied  no  more.  If  you 
want  to  tow  that  barge,  Mac,  you  buy  me  out,  lock, 
stock,  and  barrel.  An'  the  price  for  my  half  interest 
is  five  thousand  dollars." 

"You've  sold  something,  Scraggsy,"  Mr.  Mc- 
Guffey flashed  back  at  him,  obeying  a  wink  from  Mr. 
Gibney.  "An'  here's  a  hundred  dollars  to  bind  the 
bargain.  Balance  on  delivery  of  proper  bill-o'-sale." 

While  Scraggs  was  counting  the  money  Mr.  Gibney 
was  writing  a  receipt  in  his  note  book.  Scraggs,  still 
furious,  signed  the  receipt. 

"Now,  then,  Scraggsy,"  said  Mr.  Gibney  affably, 
"hustle  up  to  the  Custom  House,  get  a  formal  bill-o'- 
sale  blank,  fill  her  in,  an'  hustle  back  agin  for  your  check. 
An'  see  to  it  you  don't  change  your  mind,  because  it 
won't  do  you  any  good.  If  you  don't  come  through 
now  I  can  sue  you  an'  force  you  to." 

" Oh !     So  you're  buyin'  my  interest,  eh?  " 

"Well,  I'm  lendin'  Mac  the  money,  an'  I  got  a  hunch 
he'll  sell  the  interest  to  me  an'  Neils  without  figgerin' 
on  a  profit.  You're  a  jarrin'  note  in  the  syndicate, 
Scraggsy,  an'  I've  come  to  that  time  o'  life  where  I  want 
peace.  An'  there  won't  be  no  peace  on  the  Victor  un- 
less I  skipper  her." 

Captain  Scraggs  departed  to  draw  up  the  formal  bill 


306  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIKATES 

of  sale  and  Mr.  Gibney,  drawing  The  Squarehead  and 
McGuffey  to  him,  favoured  each  with  a  searching  glance 
and  said: 

"Gentlemen,  did  it  ever  occur  to  you  that  there's 
money  in  the  chicken  business?" 

It  had!  Both  McGuffey  and  Neils  admitted  it. 
There  are  few  men  in  this  world  who  have  not,  at  some 
period  of  their  lives,  held  the  same  view,  albeit  the 
majority  of  those  who  have  endeavoured  to  demon- 
strate that  fact  have  subsequently  changed  their 
minds. 

"I  thought  as  much,"  the  commodore  grinned.  "If 
I  was  to  let  you  two  out  o'  my  sight  for  a  day  you'd  both 
be  flat  busted  the  day  after.  So  we  won't  buy  no  farm 
an'  go  in  for  chickens.  We'll  sell  the  Victor  an'  buy  a 
little  tradin'  schooner.  Then  we'll  go  back  to  the  South 
Seas  an'  earn  a  legitimate  livin'." 

"But  why '11  we  sell  the  Victor?"  McGuffey  de- 
manded. "  Gib,  she's  a  love  of  a  boat." 

"Because  I've  just  had  a  talk  with  the  owners  o'  the 
two  opposition  lines  an'  they,  knowin'  me  to  be  chummy 
with  you  an'  Scraggsy,  give  me  the  tip  to  tell  you  two 
that  you  could  have  your  choice  o'  two  propositions — 
a  rate  war  or  a  sale  o'  the  Victor  for  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars. That  gets  you  out  clean  an'  saves  your  original 
capital,  an'  it  gits  Scraggsy  out  the  same  way,  while 
nettin'  me  an'  Neils  five  hundred  each." 

"A  rate  war  would  ruin  us,"  McGuffey  agreed.  "In 
addition  to  sourin'  Scraggsy's  disposition  until  he 
wouldn't  be  fit  to  live  with.  Gib,  you're  a  wonder." 

"I  know  it,"  Mr.  Gibney  replied. 

Within  two  hours  Captain  Scraggs's  half  interest  had 


THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES  307 

passed  into  the  hands  of  McGuffey,  and  half  an  hour 
later  the  Victor  had  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  opposi- 
tion lines,  to  be  operated  for  the  joint  profit  of  the  lat- 
ter. Later  in  the  day  all  four  members  of  the  syndicate 
met  in  the  Bowhead  saloon,  where  Mr.  Gibney  ex- 
plained the  deal  to  Captain  Scraggs.  The  latter  was 
dumfoundedo 

"I  had  to  fox  you  into  selling,"  the  commodore  con- 
fessed. 

"But  how  about  them  defunct  codfish,  Gib?" 

06 1  got  the  new  owners  to  agree  to  tow  'em  up  at  a 
reasonable  figger.  When  I've  cleaned  up  that  deal, 
we'll  buy  a  schooner  an'  run  South  again." 

"You'll  run  without  me,  Gib,"  Scraggs  declared 
emphatically.  "I've  had  a-plenty  o'  the  dark  blue  for 
mine.  I  got  a  little  stake  now,  so  I'm  going  to  look 
around  an'  invest  in  a " 

"A  chicken  ranch,"  McGuffey  interrupted. 

"  Right-O,  Bart.     How'd  you  guess  it?  " 

"Imagination,"  quoth  McGuffey,  tapping  his  fore- 
head, "imagination,  Scraggsy." 

Something  told  Mr.  Gibney  that  it  would  be  just  as 
well  if  he  did  not  insist  upon  having  Scraggs  as  a 
member  of  his  crew.  So  he  did  not  insist.  In  the 
afternoon  of  life  Mr.  Gibney  was  acquiring  common 
sense. 

Three  weeks  later  Mr.  Gibney  had  purchased,  for 
account  of  his  now  abbreviated  syndicate,  the  kind  of 
power  schooner  he  desired,  and  the  Inspectors  gave  him 
a  ticket  as  master.  With  The  Squarehead  as  mate  and 
Mr.  McGuffey  as  engineer  and  general  utility  man,  the 
little  schooner  cleared  for  Pago  Pago  on  a  day  when 


308  THE  GREEN-PEA  PIRATES 

Captain  Scraggs  was  too  busy  buying  incubators  to  come 
down  to  the  dock  and  see  them  off. 

And  for  aught  the  chronicler  of  this  tale  knows  to  the 
contrary,  the  syndicate  may  be  sailing  in  that  self -same 
schooner  to  this  very  day. 


THE  END 


THE   COUNTRY  LIFE   PRESS 
GARDEN   CITY,   N.   Y. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  SANTA  CRUZ 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  DATE  stamped  below. 


FEB  1 8  1970 
KB  1*  fig) 


JUN    91980REC1 


50m-6,'67(H2523s8)2373 


TORED  AT  NF.LF 


3  2106  00212  1819 


813 


